FOOD NEWS
Is Bologna Really Just A Flat Hot Dog?
By Chase Shustack
It may seem hard to argue that bologna and hot dogs are just different versions of the same dish, especially considering that the two items look nothing alike and are prepared in very different ways. However, assumptions can’t be based on cursory information alone, and hot dogs and bologna are more alike than you may think.
Hot dogs, which are based on German sausages, consist of a mixture of beef, pork, and poultry trimmings, water, beef stock, spices, sugar, and other additives. Likewise, bologna (an adoption of the Italian mortadella) is made of a combination of meats, salt, and spices that are piped into casings and smoked — similar to how a hot dog is prepared.
"Whether you call it a frankfurter, hot dog, wiener, or bologna," says the United States Department of Agriculture, "it's a cooked sausage and a year-round favorite." If what the USDA says is true, then hot dogs and bologna are at least part of the same family; but while they may be the same style of sausage, they are intended to be enjoyed in two unique ways.