Americans will eat approximately 150 million hot dogs on July 4th. Not over the weekend. On the day itself. That is a number that requires a moment of genuine reflection — and possibly a glass of water — before anyone starts talking about the history.
The hot dog’s origin is genuinely contested, which is fitting for a food this American. Both Frankfurt, Germany and Vienna, Austria claim to have invented it, which is why we call them both frankfurters and wieners depending on the day. The most specific claim comes from 1487, when Frankfurt credits itself with creating the Frankfurter — five years before Columbus sailed, which means the hot dog technically predates European knowledge of the Americas.
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