Is a hot dog a sandwich?

 Is a hot dog a sandwich? This question has split the public, friends, and family. This question has started countless wars among friends, at the lunch table, or in a classroom. This question is the reason that I will tell you that a hot dog is not and will never be a sandwich. 

The first thing that’s needed to be discussed is what is a sandwich? According to the general public and many dictionary websites a sandwich is two or more pieces of bread with a filling in between. If we go by definition then a hot dog is not a sandwich because it’s one piece of bread. However, people have argued that a hot dog is a sub which means it is a sandwich to which people counter by saying it’s a taco therefore it’s not a sandwich. So which is it? Is a hot dog a taco or a sub? The answer is neither. According to Eric Mettenthal who is the president of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, a hot dog is not a sub, taco, or a sandwich. Instead, he says “In essence it boils down to a hot dog is its own unique item that exceeds the sandwich category. People love to argue with us, but no, a hot dog is not a sandwich.” There you have it the president of the Hot dog Council himself said that a hot isn’t a sandwich but if you still need more proof then look at another thing he said about hot dogs. “A hot dog is not a sandwich. If you go to a hot dog vendor and you say give me a sandwich, they're going to look at you like you're crazy. It's just culturally not the same as a sandwich." In this quote he outright states that a hot dog isn’t a sandwich which should be enough proof but if you won’t take the word of one person then there’s yet another guy who says that a hot dog isn’t a sandwich. His name is Michael Quinn and he is the owner of a remade version of the first hot dog restaurant. Quinn knows all about hot dogs and says “I think a hot dog is in the sandwich family. It’s meat between bread. But for me a hot dog is a hot dog.” Quinn claims that a hot dog has “transcended” the sandwich category and is now its own thing. After all, definitions of words change all the time. Why can’t food? 

This evidence clearly shows that a hot dog isn’t a sandwich. The president of the hot dog council said it wasn’t and the owner of the first hot dog restaurant said it wasn’t and many other food professionals agree with them so in the end all of the evidence points to a hot dog not being a sandwich.