Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich?

Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich?

A hot dog is literally a sandwich, but not figuratively. To understand what a hot dog is, one must fully understand what a sandwich is. In order to determine if a hot dog is in fact a sandwich, the sandwich must be analysed in a more critical light. The distinguished Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a “sandwich” as, “Two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between.” This is what one would assume the definition of a sandwich would be. People commonly refer to peanut butter and jelly spread upon two pieces of bread and placed on top of each other, the spreads both touching, as a classic sandwich. Other classic sandwiches include ham and cheese, turkey, roast beef, chicken, and in some extreme cases, vegetables only. One of the most crucial parts of this definition is that a sandwich can be a split roll with a filling in between. Now, hot dogs are most commonly served on a roll. Checkmate, my opponents might say. But wait, there’s more. Merriam Webster defines a “hot dog” as, “A frankfurter with a typically mild flavor that is heated and usually served in a long split roll.” The literal definition of a hot dog might classify it as a sandwich, but that does not make us see it as such. When examining fruits, a few that come to mind immediately are bananas, apples, oranges, and maybe a grapefruit, for our more acquired tastes. But do we normally classify a tomato as a fruit, even though scientifically it is? No, we tend to pair tomatoes in as vegetables because of their more savory taste. A hot dog has a very different taste and image than other sandwiches. What other sandwich uses ketchup? What sandwich uses relish? Who in their right mind would put ketchup, mustard and relish on a turkey sandwich? Hot dogs may technically be sandwiches, but in our hearts, they are in a class on their own.