You might have one on the grill right now. America's favorite hand-held food - the hot dog. From campfires to backyard cookouts and baseball games hot dogs are one of our country's most iconic foods. However after 20+ years traveling in Italy on road trips with our Italian family and friends I must admit I have never had an American hot dog in Italy nor have I seen anyone I know have one.
The hot dog is not unknown in Italy. In Italy a "hot dog" is usually called a würstel or Vienna sausage although not the same as a Vienna Red Hot, the brand you’ll most likely be served when you order it Chicago-style. Arriving in Italy from central Europe, they are popular in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy, an eclectic mix of cultures where 62% of the region's population speak Italian and 30% speak South Tyrolean German. So its not surprising that the würstel sausage or frankfurter würstchen is favored. I have had würstel in Bolzano in Italy's Südtirol, a region that borders on Austria and Switzerland where sauerkraut and würstel sausages are served at most restaurants and local food stalls.
So if you're looking for a hot dog in Italy look for würstel but don't expect it to taste like an all beef red hot. Würstel is usually a pork or pork/beef sausage, artisan made with hint of smokiness that differs from the generic all American hot dog.
If you want to taste how the American hot dog culture has made its way into Italian cuisine look for a Viennese or Pizza Würstel (Pizza with Hot Dogs). The pizza base is usually a traditional tomato sauce topped with mozzarella and würstel (Vienna sausages) cut into slices. It is very popular in the regions bordering Austria and around Naples, where it is said to have originated. According to the book Pizza: A Global History “putting hot dogs on pizza has been a practice around certain regions of Italy for decades to appeal to German tourists”. There’s even a version of Pizza Viennese with a topping of hot dogs and French fries.
To Italianize your American hot dog serve the hot dog on an Italian roll and top with 3 Little Figs Plum Fig and Cherry Chutney (Mostarda) that takes an everyday hotdog to a new level.
More Suggestions:
Italian giardiniera - a pickled Italian relish
Melted mozzarella and crispy prosciutto
Fried onions, whole grain mustard and a drizzle of balsamic glaze
Artichoke and garlic spread with black olives
Fried peppers and potatoes with deli mustard (the Italian-American Jersey Dog)
Diced tomato, mashed avocado and mayonnaise - the red, green and white colors of the Italian flag
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