A half-smoke is a "local sausage delicacy" found in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 and the surrounding region. Similar to a hot dog, but usually larger, spicier, and with more coarsely-ground meat, the sausage is often half-pork and half-beef, smoked, and served with a bevy of herbs, onion, and chili sauce.

Ingredients and preparation

Though the etymology of "half-smoke" likely comes from the original half-pork, half-beef composition and smoked method of preparation, variants are common. A half-smoke can be 100% beef and steamed instead of smoked. Another explanation of the name holds that is that many places cut the sausage in half when grilling.

History

The "original" half-smoke is considered to be the sausage distributed by D.C.'s Briggs and Co. meatpackers, originating in around 1950, though Raymond Briggs started selling his half-smokes circa 1930. Eventually Briggs was sold to another meat distributor, where the quality of the meat eroded.

Venues

Numerous hot dog carts in Washington, D.C. sell steamed half-smokes, with those on Constitution Avenue

Constitution Avenue

In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...

 catering to tourists and those on Pennsylvania Avenue

Pennsylvania Avenue

Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. that joins the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches...

 serving federal employees and many other hot dog carts throughout the downtown area. Half-smokes are the "official dog" of the Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...

. The most prominent location is often cited as Ben's Chili Bowl

Ben's Chili Bowl

Ben's Chili Bowl is a landmark restaurant in Washington, D.C., located at 1213 U Street, next to Lincoln Theatre, in the Shaw neighborhood of northwest D.C. It is known locally for its chili dogs, half-smokes, and milkshakes, and has been an integral part of the neighborhood's history since its...

 in Washington's U Street neighborhood, which gained widespread exposure when visited by President Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 in 2009.

Another popular location for half-smokes is the Weenie Beenie

Weenie Beenie

Weenie Beenie was a chain of fast food restaurants, which is now reduced to one location. Weenie Beenie predominantly sells half-smokes, hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and soft drinks....

 in South Arlington located near the W&OD

Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park

The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park is a popular and unusually-shaped regional park in Northern Virginia. The park's primary feature is the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail , an asphalt-surfaced paved rail trail that runs through densely populated urban and suburban...

trail. Founded in 1950, it pre-dates Ben's Chili Bowl and is the inspiration behind the Foo Fighters song "Weenie Beenie".