Group 2 Proposal

Pictures: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/55/169590870_c4e5eb1299.jpg

There are some things in our minds that are quintessentially American: baseball, apple pie, the 4th of July, and hot dogs. The hot dog is an interesting food in that it is eaten at baseball games, or on the 4th of July, or with apple pie, and it’s a food that bring back memories from childhood. Our group wishes to research the hot dog and find out why Americans have taken such ownership of a food whose origins stem from Europe. From this project, our group would like to learn the origins of the hot dog, starting with such foods as frankfurters and wieners, and find out how and when it entered into American cuisine. It would be important to understand the manufacturing process of the hot dog, what types of meat can be put into it and how it’s made. We will discover the different companies that produce hot dogs, such as Hebrew National, Nathan’s, and Best Kosher. As a group we’ll research how hot dogs got associated with baseball and family cook outs, along with the different condiments and toppings people put on their hot dogs.

Due to the grayness that comes with the exact origins of the hot dog and its current name, we have used a variety of sources that portray different sides of its history. In addition to websites like www.hot-dog.org that describe the history of the hot dog, we found sources like www.lifeintheusa.com, which connects the hot dog to the American culture. Although we have greatly depended on internet articles, it is important to take into consideration the fact that all the sites we are using are American and thus reflect information that revolve around the American side of this food item. Since the hot dog originated in Europe, our sources focus on the development of the hot dog after having reached American shores. To surmise, we would like to find out the reasons that made hot dogs such a basic American food.

Another aspect to this project is the regional variations that cause the hot dog to differ from place to place. From the choices of condiments that range from mustard to Pineapple salsa, and Jalapeño pickles. The differences that people bring to this dish however simple to start out with transform the hot dog into a delectable regional cuisine only known to the few on how make it theirs.

The United States has a very unique national history, and our food is a reflection of that. In this country we have food from Europe, Asia, Africa, and even some that are indigenous to North American soil. Through immigration and trade, we’ve taken these foods and put our own spin on them, and called them ours.