Origins Of Iconic Sports Foods Slideshow

Empty shells on the ground, thin brown casings fluttering on the summer breeze — there are perhaps few foods as linked to a sport as peanuts are to baseball. According to the National Peanut Board, peanuts originated in South America, were grown commercially in South Carolina in the 1800s and were popularized during the Civil War.

Vendors began selling peanuts on the street and at events like Barnum & Bailey Circuses starting in 1870. In 1901 peanut vending machines started showing up. A few years later the link between peanuts (actually legumes) and baseball was cemented forever by Jack Norworth's famous 1908 classic, Take Me Out To The Ballgame. Now Americans eat more than 600 million pounds of peanuts a year.

The Dodger Dog. Nathan's. The Fenway Frank. When it comes to involving bread does any food get more iconic in the sports world than the hot dog? The link between the two began with baseball around 1893 when Chris von der Ahe, the owner of the then St. Louis Brown Stockings (now the Cardinals), started having them sold at games.

Now, hot dogs are sold at practically every sporting venue across America, but few would argue that the Dodger Dog is the most iconic. About 25,000 of these ten-inch dogs are sold at every game. They were invented in 1962 by Thomas Arthur, the first concessions manager of Dodger Stadium. Ten years later, fans were up in arms when a new company took over the concessions and tried to switch from grilling to boiling. Now you can get them steamed or grilled, all-beef, picante (spicy), and kosher.

F.W. Rueckheim introduced Cracker Jack at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. His brother supposedly gave the snack to a salesman, who proclaimed, "That's a Cracker Jack!" But Cracker Jack's link to baseball has a lot to do with two other men — Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer — the writer and composer of Take Me Out To The Ballgame. The free publicity has been helping sales ever since. Ironic considering they supposedly didn't make it to a game until about 20 years after writing the song.

The exact origin of corn dogs is unknown, but showed up in the US by the 1920s and had become extremely popular in the 1940s. Over twenty various locations claim that they invented the corn dog and references to corn dog stands can be found as early as 1947.

They're one of the best and most iconic stadium foods in America, the Gilroy garlic fries at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Their invention is credited to Dan Gordon of Gordon Biersch who created the garlic and fry combination as a late night snack during finals in grad school. The concession stands in the ballpark are infamous for the marvelous smell of stinking rose that wafts from them.

There are quality imitators, like at Yankee Stadium, but they haven't caught on to a smart garlic fry concession move in San Francisco: multiple locations. At AT&T the fries are on Promenade Level Sec. 103, 118, 130; View Level Sec. 311, 323, 331; Field Level; and Lower Center Field. There's just one crowded stand with long lines in the Bronx.

During Wimbledon more than 20 tons of fruit (more than two million berries) and 1,820 gallons of cream are consumed as the event's signature dish, strawberries and cream, is consumed. Tennis and strawberries... why this bizarre combination? Legend dictates that King George V is responsible, but as The New York Times reported, the tradition dates to the era of the first Wimbledon tournament in 1877. Strawberries and cream were fashionable to eat and the seasonality coincided with the event. 

Wimbledon's other iconic culinary icon, while its association is younger, is certainly more spirited. Champagne was Wimbledon's original beverage of choice, but the Pimm's Cup is better known now. The first Pimm's bar at Wimbledon opened in 1971. Its popularity grew and today more than 80,000 pints of Pimm's and lemonade are sold there annually.