North America

From the crowded streets of Bangkok to the busy streets of Sydney, we’ve travelled far and wide to uncover interesting facts about hot dogs. In our last article, we visited Africa and South America and learned how these tasty treats are cooked and prepared, or featured in local gourmet dishes.

This time, let’s travel to North America and discover how people from this region prepare their own version of these tasty treats. Read on.

Canada

Hot dogs are also staple snacks in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and other cities in Canada. These tasty treats can be seen served in local restaurants, street food stalls and even corporate functions. The Montreal-style wieners are steamed or griddle fried and topped with delicious relishes, such as coleslaw, mustard, onion and chilli powder. In Vancouver, a Japanese-style hot dog variant known as Terimayo is becoming a crowd favourite. This recipe is infused with ingredients from Japan, such as seaweed, teriyaki sauce and bonito flakes. Meanwhile, in Toronto, a variety of hot dogs and sausages are sold with different condiments, including ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard as well as toppings like olives, corn, onion and pickled sweet pepper.

Mexico

Sonoran-style hot dogs are prepared by wrapping the wiener in a mesquite smoked bacon and then cooking it on a griddle or grill. This bacon-wrapped sausage is usually stuffed with pinto beans, onions and tomatoes, and topped with sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard and Jalapeño sauce. In some places in Mexico, estilo Sonora hot dogs are prepared using salchichas rojos, a red sausage. Another popular street food snack in Mexico that is also featured in many catering companies or local restaurants is the tortilla-wrapped hot dog.

Guatemala

Shucos are also famous in many street food stalls across Guatemala. This hot dog variant is prepared using an assortment of meats, such as Spanish chorizo (red sausage), longaniza (white sausage), salami and bacon, and cooked in a charcoal grill. The sausage is then placed on a soft, freshly baked Shuco bread, and topped with boiled cabbage, salsa Chapina (Guatemalan green sauce), mayonnaise, mustard and minced onions. Another variant is topped with creamy avocado.

There’s no denying the fact that hot dogs are truly universally loved. You can find different variations of these tasty treats sold everywhere you go—from a hot dog cart in the bustling streets of Guatemala City, to a famous restaurant or corporate catering service in Toronto.

Want to learn some interesting hot dog facts from the USA? Then watch out for our next post as we bring you the last of this five-part article.