How did a hot dog become a hot dog?

  What is a
weiner?  What is a frankfurter?  Did you know that
July is National Hot Dog month?  The answers to
all these questions and more can be found on the
World Wide Web because the hot dog is not so
much a recipe as an institution.
A hot dog is first and foremost a kind of sausage,
and the sausage has been around at least  since which travel the country calling attention to their
the ancient Greeks.   By the middle ages every products.
region in Europe had its own version of a In the 1860's German immigrants were calling
sausage, but in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, in them "dachshund sausages" which they sold
the late 1600's, a butcher named Johann from pushcarts in New York City, often placing
Georghehner developed what became called the them in a milk bun with a serving of sauerkraut
Frankfurter sausage or just plain "frankfurter."  and mustard on top. In 1871 a German butcher
Meanwhile, in Austria, Viennese butchers had an named Charles Feltman began selling them at
idea for a similar sausage and it was named after his Coney Island restaurant. In the midwest,
their city.  Vienna is "Wien" in German and so we sausages -- without a roll or bun -- were sold at
have Weiner sausages or "weiners" that originated The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in
in Wien (the city we call Vienna), and "frankfurters" Chicago, where they were a big hit.  When the
that originated in Frankfurt.  Some people noticed 1904 St. Louis World's Fair Louisiana Purchase
the shape of these sausages and called them Exposition opened, there were weiners or
"dachshund sausages" because they looked like frankfurters sold there, too.
the little German breed of dog used for hunting Hot dogs gained an international reputation
S
N
s badgers. Badger is "dachs" in German, dog or
hound is "hund;" hence dachs-hund.     Today,
both frankfurter and weiner are names still used
when President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mrs.
Roosevelt   served hot dogs to King George VI
and Queen Elizabeth of England (the parents of
O for this kind of sausage. In fact, the Oscar Mayer the current Queen Elizabeth II) on their tour to
I
T
Dog Company created what they call "weinermobiles," the United  States in 1939.

The fact that hot dogs come already

I cooked, or smoked, and only need
D Hot warming, makes them an easy choice
for a picnic, a ball park or a fair.
A
R
T
of   1.  The Classic:  Bring a pot of water to the
boiling point.  Turn off the heat.  Place hot
3.  The Comfort Food:  You can eliminate the
bun by "butterflying" hot dogs (slicing them part
way through lengthwise and spreading them
N dogs in the water for 10 minutes.  Remove open), then covering them with leftover mashed

A tory and place in a hot dog bun.  Serve with a

variety of condiments (mustard or ketchup,
chopped onion or pickle  relish, or sauerkraut).
potatoes and grated cheddar cheese. Place
under the broiler until the cheese melts.
C  
I
R
hiss 2.  The Gourmet:  Heat  an outdoor grill.  Make
several gashes in the hot dog and grill until grill
marks appear on the hot dog.  Gourmets have
 4.  The Modern Convenience: You can
make three or four half-inch slashes in a  hot
dog, and heat it in a microwave oven for 40
E suggested inserting cheddar cheese, garlic seconds.  Place the bun in the microwave for

M The butter and parsley, or blue cheese and grated

onion into the gashes, or wrapping the hot dog
in a bacon strip before grilling.
10 seconds, then add condiments (mustard
or ketchup, pickle relish or chopped onions) 
and enjoy.
A

Texts by J.J. Wonders from http://members.cox.net/jjschnebel/hotdogs.html

 
 SPEAKING:

What is junk food? Can you name some examples? How often do you eat junk food?

Do you like it? What is your favourite junk food? Do you think people ate junk food hundreds of years ago

Why is it so delicious? What are the pros and cons of this type of food?

READING COMPREHENSION:
1. What a hot dog? 6. How was it served in XIX century?

2. Where and who invented it? 7. What happened in 1871?

3. How many types are there? 8. When did they became famous?

4. Why was it called ‘hot dog’? 9. What relationship have hot dogs and President
Roosvelt?
5. What is a ‘weiner mobile’?
 VOCABULARY: FOOD IDIOMS

Read the sentences and match the idioms with their meanings:
1) I thought I was afraid of flying, but I was cool as a cucumber 9)I'm nuts about classical music these days.
all the way to England.
10)The kids were full of beans after the circus.
2)The exam was a piece of cake.

11)My husband has had to bring home the bacon ever since I
3)You're going to have to really use your noodle on this
broke my leg.
crossword puzzle. It's an extra difficult one.

4)The gang tried to egg us on but we didn't want to fight. 12)I'm going on holiday to Jamaica - eat your heart out!

13)The new Harry Potter books sold like hot cakes.

5)Opera isn't exactly my cup of tea.

6)I love reading cheesy romance novels because I don't have to 14)We'll have to butter Angie up before we tell her the news
about the broken vase.
think.

7)On Monday, I'm going to spill the beans about my travel plans. 15)Your daughter is one smart cookie. She reads much higher
than her grade level.
8)Just explain the bread and butter of your report. You don't
16)Baby Jessica is the apple of her father's eye.
have to go into details.

17)He watches TV all day - what a couch-potato

A)someone who never goes out or exercises B) a person that is adored by someone C) a very intelligent
person D) be extra nice to someone (usually for selfish reasons) E) bought by many people F) telling
someone they should be jealous of you G) earn the income H) have a lot of (silly) energy I) like a lot J)
necessities, the main thing K) reveal the truth L) silly M) something you enjoy (usually used negatively)
N)urge someone to do something O) use your brain P) very easy Q) very relaxed
 LISTENING: Complete the gaps with the missing word

Hot Dogs. American’s ____________ them, but what are they exactly and where did they
originate? Well, listen _______________and I’ll tell you.

A hot dog, in it’s simple form, is a ____________ frankfurter in a bread roll, with added
fried __________, tomato ketchup and ___________ for whoever wants it. Nobody is
exactly __________ where and when the first hot dogs ________ sold in America, but a
popular story is this: A German ____________ called Charles Feltman had a small
_____________ from which he delivered _________ food to the bars and restaurants
along the beachfront of ________ Island in New York. However, the bar ____________
also wanted to serve _________ to their customers, so Mr Feltman _________ up with
the idea of putting a ________ sausage in a roll. He designed a wagon that could
________ the water needed to cook the frankfurters and with which he could _________
up and down the beaches. It was an immediate _________ and the hot dog was born.
This was in 1867.

_________ then, Coney Island has become the unofficial _________ of the hot dog and
every year _________ an eating competition. Who _________ want to watch that, you
may ask? Well, let me tell you that in 2006, which was the 92nd ________ event, over
30,000 people came to see the _______________ and another 1.5 million watched it
________ on TV. Incredible. Incidentally, the winner _______ 66 hot dogs in ________
minutes – a Mr Joey Chestnut, who at the time was the _______ competitive eating
champion.

Here are some more interesting facts and ________ about hot dogs: The __________
ever hot dog was made in 1996 to _____________ the Atlanta Olympics – it was
____________ feet long! 88% of adults ___________ mustard on a hot dog. Children
prefer ____________. I like both, together. ___________ stadiums sell around 26 million
a ________. The Los Angeles Dodger’s fans eat the ________. American ___________
Al Capone loved hot dogs, especially _________ from Coney Island. And finally, the city
of New York is the top hot dog eating city in America, _________ over $100 million a year.

WRITING:
 Idiom meaning
cool as a cucumber very relaxed
piece of cake very easy
use your noodle use your brain
egg someone on urge someone to do something
(not my) cup of tea something you enjoy (usually used negatively)
cheesy Silly
spill the beans reveal the truth
bread and butter necessities, the main thing
nuts about something, someone like a lot
full of beans have a lot of (silly) energy
bring home the bacon earn the income
eat your heart out! telling someone they should be jealous of you
sell like hot cakes bought by many people
butter someone up be extra nice to someone (usually for selfish reasons)
one smart cookie a very intelligent person
apple of one's eye a person that is adored by someone
a couch-potato someone who never goes out or exercises:

Write a letter to your pen pal telling him/her about your favourite junk food. Tell him/her what ingredients it has,
how you prepare it and how it tastes, where you eat it, places where you can buy it in your city, why you like it
and your opinion of the consequences of eating junk food on our health.

Answer key:

Listening: Go to: http://www.eslpodcards.com/usa/coney.php

Hot Dogs. American’s love them, but what are they exactly and where did they originate? Well, listen carefully
and I’ll tell you.

A hot dog, in it’s simple form, is a German frankfurter in a bread roll, with added fried onions, tomato ketchup
and mustard for whoever wants it. Nobody is exactly sure where and when the first hot dogs were sold in
America, but a popular story is this: A German butcher called Charles Feltman had a small wagon from which
he delivered fresh food to the bars and restaurants along the beachfront of Coney Island in New York. However,
the bar owners also wanted to serve sandwiches to their customers, so Mr Feltman came up with the idea of
putting a hot sausage in a roll. He designed a wagon that could boil the water needed to cook the frankfurters
and with which he could travel up and down the beaches. It was an immediate success and the hot dog was
born. This was in 1867.

Since then, Coney Island has become the unofficial home of the hot dog and every year hosts an eating
competition. Who would want to watch that, you may ask? Well, let me tell you that in 2006, which was the 92nd
annual event, over 30,000 people came to see the competition and another 1.5 million watched it live on TV.
Incredible. Incidentally, the winner ate 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes – a Mr Joey Chestnut, who at the time was the
world competitive eating champion.

Here are some more interesting facts and trivia about hot dogs: The longest ever hot dog was made in 1996 to
celebrate the Atlanta Olympics – it was 1,996 feet long! 88% of adults prefer mustard on a hot dog. Children
prefer ketchup. I like both, together. Baseball stadiums sell around 26 million a year. The Los Angeles Dodger’s
fans eat the most. American gangster Al Capone loved hot dogs, especially those from Coney Island. And
finally, the city of New York is the top hot dog eating city in America, spending over $100 million a year.