ASIA
Spicy. Tender. Tasty. Juicy. All of us love the mouth-watering taste of hot dogs. From the streets of New York, Seoul and Sydney to world-class restaurants in Stockholm, London and
Tokyo—you can find hot dog variants prepared with various condiments, topped with delicious relishes, or featured in appetising local cuisines. Let’s travel to these beautiful locations and get a glimpse of how hot dogs are prepared and cooked in street stalls and restaurants, or used as ingredients in delectable, local gourmet dishes.
First stop—Asia.
China
Back in the days, Chinese hot dogs looked like dumplings. But today, you can find regular sausages wrapped in buns or served on sticks from a lot of street food stalls and supermarkets in Shanghai and Beijing. One of the most popular hot dog snacks in China is Rouchang, a fully cooked sausage served on a stick without added condiments or relishes.
Japan
Most Japanese-style hot dogs are made using seafood sausages. They are styled to resemble an octopus, and then served with nattō, squid sashimi and seaweed. The famous Japanese Fusion Dogs are paired with condiments like teriyaki and wasabi.
Fun Facts: Japan currently holds two Guinness World Records for hot dog making and eating contests. Takeru Kobayashi, a long-time competitive eater, holds the record for the Most Hot Dogs Eaten in Three Minutes. The Yokota Base Side Street Shop Liaison Council also set the record for the longest line of hot dogs that measures 846 ft. at an event in Fussa, Tokyo.
Thailand
Hot dogs are popular among food catering services and food stalls in Thailand. They are featured in various Thai gourmet dishes like khao phat Amerikan (American friend rice), donut sai krok (doughnuts) and yam hot dok (salad). Charcoal grilled and deep-fried sausages are also common in many street food stalls. These are served with nam chim wan, a sweet and slightly spicy sauce, or nam chim phet, a very spicy sauce.
Taiwan
Dachang bao xiao chang, a snack made of sausages wrapped in sticky rice is very popular in the streets of Taipei. This delectable recipe is topped with garlic and basil, and is available in different flavours.
Philippines
In the Philippines, hot dogs are eaten with plain rice and condiments like ketchup, soy sauce and vinegar. They are usually served during breakfast and paired with eggs. They are also used as ingredients in local food recipes like Filipino-style spaghetti, kaldereta (beef or goat stew made with spices, liver spread, banana, tomato and potato) and menudo (pork stew made with carrots, spices and tomato). These tasty local cuisines are commonly served in party catering services, restaurants and fast-food chains all over the country. Also, a local variant of waffle features a hot dog coated in batter and then baked or deep-fried.
South Korea
South Korea is famous for their French fry-wrapped hot dogs. This style combines the famous American hot dog in a bun and then coated with lots of French fries and sugar. Many hot dog stands in the streets of Seoul also serve tasty, batter-dipped corn dogs wrapped in bacon or mashed potato.
Hot dogs are universally loved. It’s no wonder various countries all over the world have devised their own styles and techniques for preparing and cooking these tasty treats.
Want to learn other interesting hot dog facts? Then watch out for our next post as we continue to bring you fun facts about these tasty treats from around the world. Next stop—Australia and Europe!