FOOD NEWS
Is There Really A Distinction Between Hot Dogs And Frankfurters?
By C.A. Pinkham
Although "frankfurter" is synonymous with "hot dog" today, it's not technically accurate, and there is a difference between hot dogs and frankfurters.
The Frankfurter wurstchen is a German pork sausage dating back to the 13th century. In the 19th century, a butcher added beef to the pork mixture, calling it "frankfurter."
Later it was placed on a roll, and the hot dog was born. We don't exactly know when that happened, but it could've been in 1900 at the Polo Grounds or much earlier on Coney Island.
Though the hot dog clearly descended from the frankfurter, the Frankfurter wurstchen is a separate dish.