Corn dog
Encyclopedia
A corn dog is a hot dog
sausage coated in a thick layer of cornmeal
batter
and deep fried
in oil
, although some are baked
. Almost all corn dogs are served on wooden sticks, though some early versions had no stick.
In 300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles, author Linda Campbell Franklin states that a "Krusty Korn Dog baker" machine appeared in the 1929 Albert Pick-L. Barth wholesale catalog of hotel and restaurant supplies. The 'korn dogs' were baked in a corn batter and resembled ears of corn when cooked.
An article in The New York Times
made reference to "corn dog" stands as early as 1947. A number of current corn dog vendors lay claim that credit for the invention and/or popularization of the corn dog. Carl and Neil Fletcher lay such a claim, having introduced their "Corny Dogs" at the Texas State Fair sometime between 1938 and 1942. The Pronto Pup
vendors at the Minnesota State Fair
claim to have invented the corn dog in 1941. Cozy Dog Drive-in, in Springfield, Illinois, claims to have been the first to serve corn dogs on sticks, in 1946. Also in 1946, Dave Barham opened the first location of Hot Dog on a Stick
at Muscle Beach
, Santa Monica, California
.
Corn dogs are often served as street food
or as fast food
. Some vendors or restaurateurs dip and fry their dogs just before serving. Corn dogs can also be found at almost any supermarket
in North America
as frozen food that can be heated and served. Some corn dog purveyors sell these premade frozen corn dogs which have been thawed and then fried again or browned in an oven. Premade frozen corn dogs can also be microwaved, but the cornbread coating will lack texture. Corn dogs may be eaten plain or with a variety of condiments, such as ketchup
, mustard
, relish
and mayonnaise
.
corn dogs and corn dog nuggets are made as meatless alternatives by many of the same companies that produce veggie dogs
.
A breakfast version of the corn dog consists of a breakfast sausage deep-fried in a pancake
batter.
In Argentina they are called panchuker
s and are sold mostly around train stations, and are more popular in the inner country cities. They are often consumed on the street, and may contain cheese. They are served with a number of sauces.
In Australia, a hot dog sausage on a stick, deep fried in batter, is known as a Dagwood Dog or Pluto Pup or Dippy Dog, depending on region. Variants exist that use wheat-based or corn-based batters. These are not to be confused with the British and Australian battered sav, a saveloy
deep fried in a wheat flour based batter, as used for fish and chips, which generally does not contain cornmeal. In New Zealand
and South Korea
, a similar battered sausage
on a stick is called a "hot dog", whereas a "frankfurter" sausage in a long bun is referred to as an "American hot dog".
In Japan
, something like a corn dog can be found at many supermarkets and convenience stores as "American Dogs" (katakana
:アメリカンドッグ) for their American origin. These American Dogs, however use a wheat-flour based batter with no cornmeal at all.
In Canada
, corn dogs may be referred to as "pogo sticks", or "pogos", after a popular brand name.
Another version comes with either melted cheese between the hot dog and the breading or the hot dog is replaced with a cheese-filled hot dog.
Yet another version is the "cornbrat" (or "corn brat"), which is a corn dog made with bratwurst
instead of a wiener or hot dog.
Hot dogs can also so be covered in a potato and egg coating; fried and served on a stick like a corn dog. In effect, the cornbread component is replaced with a latke.
Small corn dogs, known as "corn puppies," "mini corn dogs," or "corn dog nuggets," are a variation served in some restaurants, generally on the children's menu or at fast food establishments. A serving includes multiple pieces, usually 10. In contrast to their larger counterparts, corn puppies are normally served stickless as finger food
.
is a celebration of the corn dog, tater tots
, and American beer that occurs on the first Saturday of March of every year.
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
sausage coated in a thick layer of cornmeal
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is flour ground from dried maize or American corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies. In the United States, the finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as cornflour. However, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch in recipes from the...
batter
Batter (cooking)
Batter is a semi-liquid mixture of one or more flours combined with liquids such as water, milk or eggs used to prepare various foods. Often a leavening agent such as baking powder is included to aerate and fluff up the batter as it cooks, or the mixture may be naturally fermented for this purpose...
and deep fried
Deep frying
Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot oil or fat. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used....
in oil
Cooking oil
Cooking oil is purified fat of plant origin, which is usually liquid at room temperature ....
, although some are baked
Baking
Baking is the technique of prolonged cooking of food by dry heat acting by convection, and not by radiation, normally in an oven, but also in hot ashes, or on hot stones. It is primarily used for the preparation of bread, cakes, pastries and pies, tarts, quiches, cookies and crackers. Such items...
. Almost all corn dogs are served on wooden sticks, though some early versions had no stick.
History
There is some debate as to the exact origins of the corn dog; they appeared in some ways in the US by the 1920s, and were popularized nationally in the 1940s. A US patent filed in 1927, granted in 1929, for a Combined Dipping, Cooking, and Article Holding Apparatus, describes corn dogs, among other fried food impaled on a stick; it reads in part:In 300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles, author Linda Campbell Franklin states that a "Krusty Korn Dog baker" machine appeared in the 1929 Albert Pick-L. Barth wholesale catalog of hotel and restaurant supplies. The 'korn dogs' were baked in a corn batter and resembled ears of corn when cooked.
An article in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
made reference to "corn dog" stands as early as 1947. A number of current corn dog vendors lay claim that credit for the invention and/or popularization of the corn dog. Carl and Neil Fletcher lay such a claim, having introduced their "Corny Dogs" at the Texas State Fair sometime between 1938 and 1942. The Pronto Pup
Pronto Pup
The Pronto Pup Company is a company based in Portland, Oregon that manufactures the Pronto Pup corn dog mix.-History:The Pronto Pup was invented by the husband and wife team of George and Versa Boyington in the late 1930s in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. The Boyingtons ran a small hot dog stand on the...
vendors at the Minnesota State Fair
Minnesota State Fair
The Minnesota State Fair is the state fair of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its slogan is "The Great Minnesota Get-Together." It is the 2nd largest fair in the United States, and the largest state fair in the United States in terms of average daily attendance, though the State Fair of Texas runs...
claim to have invented the corn dog in 1941. Cozy Dog Drive-in, in Springfield, Illinois, claims to have been the first to serve corn dogs on sticks, in 1946. Also in 1946, Dave Barham opened the first location of Hot Dog on a Stick
Hot Dog on a Stick
HDOS Enterprises, commonly known as Hot Dog on a Stick, is a fast food company originating in Santa Monica, California, originally founded by Dave Barham.-History:...
at Muscle Beach
Muscle Beach
Muscle Beach refers to either Muscle Beach Venice, an area in Venice, California, on Ocean Front Walk two blocks north of Venice Boulevard or to Original Muscle Beach, two miles north of Venice, south of the Santa Monica Pier...
, Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.
Preparation
Street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold in a street or other public place, such as a market or fair, by a hawker or vendor, often from a portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin. Most street food are both finger and fast...
or as fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
. Some vendors or restaurateurs dip and fry their dogs just before serving. Corn dogs can also be found at almost any supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
as frozen food that can be heated and served. Some corn dog purveyors sell these premade frozen corn dogs which have been thawed and then fried again or browned in an oven. Premade frozen corn dogs can also be microwaved, but the cornbread coating will lack texture. Corn dogs may be eaten plain or with a variety of condiments, such as ketchup
Ketchup
Ketchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...
, mustard
Mustard (condiment)
Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant...
, relish
Relish
A relish is a cooked, pickled, or chopped vegetable or fruit food item which is typically used as a condiment.In North America, relish commonly alludes to sweet pickle relish-like sauce that often condiments hot dogs, hamburgers and other types of fast food.-Description and ingredients:The item...
and mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
.
Variations
Both vegetarianVegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
corn dogs and corn dog nuggets are made as meatless alternatives by many of the same companies that produce veggie dogs
Vegetarian hot dog
A vegetarian hot dog is a hot dog produced completely from non-meat products.Vegetarian hot dogs are sometimes eaten by non-vegetarians because they are lower in fat, calories, and contain no cholesterol, and little to no saturated fat, compared to hot dogs from animal meats...
.
A breakfast version of the corn dog consists of a breakfast sausage deep-fried in a pancake
Pancake
A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side...
batter.
In Argentina they are called panchuker
Panchuker
A Panchuker is an Argentine hot snack that can be bought near some train stations and in some places of heavy pedestrian transit. It consists of a sausage covered with a waffle-like pastry, and has a stick in it so that it can be easily consumed...
s and are sold mostly around train stations, and are more popular in the inner country cities. They are often consumed on the street, and may contain cheese. They are served with a number of sauces.
In Australia, a hot dog sausage on a stick, deep fried in batter, is known as a Dagwood Dog or Pluto Pup or Dippy Dog, depending on region. Variants exist that use wheat-based or corn-based batters. These are not to be confused with the British and Australian battered sav, a saveloy
Saveloy
A saveloy is a type of highly seasoned sausage, usually bright red in colour, which is typically available in English fish and chips shops,but more often from pork shops sometimes fried in batter...
deep fried in a wheat flour based batter, as used for fish and chips, which generally does not contain cornmeal. In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, a similar battered sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
on a stick is called a "hot dog", whereas a "frankfurter" sausage in a long bun is referred to as an "American hot dog".
In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, something like a corn dog can be found at many supermarkets and convenience stores as "American Dogs" (katakana
Katakana
is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet . The word katakana means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana scripts are derived from components of more complex kanji. Each kana represents one mora...
:アメリカンドッグ) for their American origin. These American Dogs, however use a wheat-flour based batter with no cornmeal at all.
In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, corn dogs may be referred to as "pogo sticks", or "pogos", after a popular brand name.
Another version comes with either melted cheese between the hot dog and the breading or the hot dog is replaced with a cheese-filled hot dog.
Yet another version is the "cornbrat" (or "corn brat"), which is a corn dog made with bratwurst
Bratwurst
A bratwurst is a sausage usually composed of veal, pork or beef. The plural in German is Bratwürste....
instead of a wiener or hot dog.
Hot dogs can also so be covered in a potato and egg coating; fried and served on a stick like a corn dog. In effect, the cornbread component is replaced with a latke.
Small corn dogs, known as "corn puppies," "mini corn dogs," or "corn dog nuggets," are a variation served in some restaurants, generally on the children's menu or at fast food establishments. A serving includes multiple pieces, usually 10. In contrast to their larger counterparts, corn puppies are normally served stickless as finger food
Finger food
Finger food is food meant to be eaten directly using the hands, in contrast to food eaten with a knife and fork, chopsticks, or other utensils. In some cultures, food is almost always eaten with the hands; for example, Ethiopian cuisine is eaten by rolling various dishes up in injera bread. In the...
.
Annual celebration
National Corndog DayNational Corndog Day
National Corndog Day is a celebration of basketball, the corn dog, Tater Tots, and American beer that occurs in March of every year on the first Saturday of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship...
is a celebration of the corn dog, tater tots
Tater Tots
Tater Tots, a registered trademark for a commercial form of hash browns made by Ore-Ida, are a side-dish made from deep-fried, grated taters. Tater Tots are widely recognized by their crispness, cylindrical shape and small size....
, and American beer that occurs on the first Saturday of March of every year.
See also
- Bagel dogBagel dogA bagel dog is a food item consisting of a full-size or miniature hot dog, wrapped in bagel-style breading before or after cooking. They are similar in concept to a corn dog or pigs in a blanket...
- Battered sausageBattered sausageBattered sausages are a type of cuisine, found all across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. They are similar in concept to a corn dog, but consist of a pork sausage, dipped in batter, , and usually served with chips.There are 750 calories in a typical battered sausage...
- BratwurstBratwurstA bratwurst is a sausage usually composed of veal, pork or beef. The plural in German is Bratwürste....
- Hot dog variationsHot dog variationsThis is a listing of regional variations on the hot dog. Different areas of the world have local variations on the type of meat used, condiments and means of preparation, which are enumerated below.-Alabama:...
- HushpuppyHushpuppyA hushpuppy or cornbread ball is a savory, starch-based food made from cornmeal batter that is deep fried or baked in small ball or sphere shapes, or occasionally oblong or ring shapes...
- Pigs in a blanketPigs in a blanketPigs in blankets Pigs in blankets Pigs in blankets (also known as worstenbroodjes or saucijzenbroodjes (dutch), kilted sausages (UK), pølse i svøb (danish) refers to different sausage-based foods in the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia,...
- Sausage rollSausage rollA Sausage Roll is a type of savoury convenience food commonly served at parties and available from bakeries and milk bars as a take-away food item...
- State fairState fairA state fair is a competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in their categories at the more-local county fairs....