master-cooks | The Reason Hot Dogs Are Sometimes Called Franks

Hot dogs are often called "franks" due to their historical connection to the city of Frankfurt, Germany. This linkage traces back to the 13th century when a sausage known as the "frankfurter" was created in the region. The frankfurter was a smoked sausage made from pork, a staple in the local diet, and it quickly gained popularity due to its flavorful taste and convenient size. As German immigrants brought their culinary traditions to the United States in the 19th century, the frankfurter was among the foods introduced to the American palate. The term "frankfurter" was soon abbreviated to "frank," providing an easier and more casual way to refer to the sausage. Over time, these sausages became a popular street food, often served in a bun, and were eventually dubbed "hot dogs," a name inspired by the playful notion that the sausages might contain dog meat, a myth that has long been debunked. Today, "frank" remains a common term for hot dogs, reflecting both the American adaptation and the enduring influence of German culinary heritage on American cuisine.

The origin of the frankfurter hot dog

The frankfurter würstchen is a slender sausage made from finely minced pork encased in natural sheep casing, lightly smoked and parboiled. Today's hot dogs come with a variety of ingredients, often encased in artificial materials. There are multiple stories regarding the origin of the frankfurter, but in 1987, Frankfurt celebrated the 500th anniversary of the hot dog (or frankfurter). Regardless of when the first frankfurter was cooked, it received legal geographic protection in Germany in 1860.

When Germans and Central Europeans migrated to America in the 19th century, they brought the frankfurter along. By the 1860s, the similar dachshund sausage was commonly served in a bun. German butcher Charles Feltman began selling dachshund sausages on Coney Island in 1871, and his employee, Nathan Handwerker, opened Nathan's in 1916, forever linking Coney Island with the hot dog (though Handwerker referred to them as red hots) and later Nathan's Famous Franks.

The connection between the dachshund (which was already referred to as a hot dog on college campuses by the early 1890s) and the frankfurter remains unclear. However, by at least the 1940s, hot dogs were commonly known as franks, likely even earlier. By the late 1940s, several manufacturers were promoting Friday Franks: tuna fish hot dogs for those who abstained from meat on Fridays. Ball Park transitioned from hot dogs to franks in 1959, while Hebrew National had been selling frankfurters by at least 1960.

The Reason Hot Dogs Are Sometimes Called Franks

The origin of the frankfurter hot dog

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