Are hot dogs sandwiches? Today we find out in a heated debate. We dive deep into the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council to find the truth in this controversial matter. This question has been plaguing people of the world since 1880 when the names “sausage sandwich,” “frankfurter sandwich,” and “hot dog sandwich” were common says thehotdog.org.

One side believes the hot dog is not a sandwich. According to The Oxford dictionary, the definition of a sandwich is “an item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other fillings between them, eaten as a light meal.” One of the key requirements for a sandwich is that it consists of two pieces of bread. Unfortunately, a hot dog only includes one piece of bread that folds over onto the opposite sides of the sausage. Another reason why hot dogs are not sandwiches is that sandwiches are horizontally oriented. Hot dogs are vertically oriented, as the bread is open at the top. Imagine if you tried to eat a sandwich with it standing straight up; it just would not work. Finally, if you go to a restaurant and order a hot dog, what category is the hot dog in? Certainly not the sandwich category. People just do not think of sandwiches when they order a hot dog.

Yet many can argue that it is a sandwich. According to the Hot Dog and Sausage Council, the hot dog falls under the sandwich category due to the fact that a hot dog is meat in between two pieces of bread. Another reason for the claim that hot dogs are sandwiches is because there are regulations that hot dogs must have meat, they have to be 35 percent meat and at most 50 percent bread. Coincidentally, sandwiches have to be 35 percent meat and 50 percent to be sandwiches. If they both have the same criteria, then that means hot dogs are sandwiches under these conditions. Other similarities between these two are that both can have toppings that make them much better to eat and enjoy. For example, mustard and ketchup are just two common condiments that make these products better.

In conclusion, this statement is a very controversial topic that has broken many friendships that cannot be repaired. Many relationships and significant others have been put to the test due to this issue. So the statement remains, is a hotdog a sandwich?