Is A Hot Dog A Samich: Unraveling The Culinary Conundrum

How is a hot dog categorized? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a sandwich is defined as “a meat or poultry filling enclosed between two slices of bread, a bun, or a biscuit.” Therefore, based on this official classification, a hot dog can indeed be considered a sandwich. This determination was made by the USDA on July 2, 2021.

The longstanding debate over whether a hot dog can be classified as a sandwich gained momentum in 2018 when the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, during an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, asserted that a hot dog could, in fact, be considered a sandwich. Around the same time, Oscar Mayer, a well-known frankfurter company, weighed in on the topic. In a statement made to Today, they emphatically declared that a hot dog should unequivocally be categorized as a sandwich. This debate persisted for years, but on March 21, 2023, it took a new turn as discussions continued.