Are Hotdogs Sandwiches?

Is a hotdog a sandwich? A shower thought that may never be answered. A solution that is yet to be discovered. Google the question, I dare you. Unfortunately, there will not be a quick AI response like all your other random, easily answered questions. 

What is a sandwich? As the dictionary defines it; “an item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them, eaten as a light meal.” (languages.oup.com) A sandwich could have anything between two pieces of bread, including a sausage, so why can’t we call it a day and slap that sandwich nametag on hotdogs? Well, it isn’t as straightforward as a simple sandwich.

A hot dog is a connected bun filled with sausage, ketchup, relish, mustard, or even lettuce. Unlike a sandwich which usually leaves the 4 sides of the sandwich open, and unlike regular sandwich bread, a hot dog bun has a sweeter taste, is shaped differently, and is much fluffier. This means that although a hot dog has some properties of a sandwich, it doesn’t qualify for the whole definition to be officially called a sandwich. 

If it isn’t quite a sandwich then what could it possibly be? A taco! I mean it has the same shape as a hot dog. As the dictionary defines it; “a Mexican dish consisting of a fried tortilla, typically folded, filled with various mixtures, such as seasoned meat, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes.” (languages.oup.com) However, there is one problem with this hypothesis. A hot dog is neither Mexican nor has the shell of a tortilla. The hot dog was originally derived in Germany and unlike a taco, the shell of this tasty dish is made from white flour and/or wheat flour.  

Let’s have a look at what others think about this controversial topic:

“Yes, because it has 2 pieces of bread and you put the stuff in the middle.” (Nahal Moini 8th)

“No. A sandwich is like 2 pieces of bread, but a hot bun is one singular piece of bread.” (Christian Green 8th)

“I do think so because of the bun that it’s on. You can use that bun for other things to toast like breakfast sandwiches.” (Savannah Pepe 7th)

“They’re sandwiches. You know why? Sandwiches have one piece of bread on one side and another on the other side. Then there’s condiments, meat, whatever you want in a hot dog or sandwich.” (Valeria Meza 7th)

“They can be. If you close the hot dog buns together it’s kind of like a sandwich but closed on one end.” (Charlotte Hancock 6th)

“Maybe. It’s basically just a hot dog in between two pieces of bread, but instead of a hot dog bun, just normal bread slices.” (Eliana Celis 6th)

Some may say a hotdog is a sandwich. Some a taco. Some a burrito. It could even be a dolphin at this point if you come up with a good enough argument. What do you think? Comment down below! Even though people will always have mixed opinions on this lighthearted debate, it is better to enjoy your hot dog and finally just consider its real category: hotdog.

Sources

McNamee, Gregory Lewis. “Hot Dog | Origins, Ingredients, & Influence.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Oct. 2022, www.britannica.com/topic/hot-dog%0A.

Patel, Harsh. “Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich? The World May Never Know.” Indiana University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Apr. 2019, iujur.iu.edu/features/archives/2018-2019/hot-dog.html%0A. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

“Oxford Languages and Google – English | Oxford Languages.” Oup.com, 2020, languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en%0A.