Recently arrived German Texan sausage-makers, finding resistance to the sausages they used to make, have been credited with introducing the corn dog to the United States, though the serving stick came later. A US patent filed in 1927, granted in 1929, for a Combined Dipping, Cooking, and Article Holding Apparatus, describes corn dogs, among other fried food impaled on a stick; it reads in part: A "Krusty Korn Dog" baker machine appeared in the 1926 Albert Pick-L. Barth wholesale catalog of hotel and restaurant supplies. The 'korn dogs' were baked in a corn batter and resembled ears of corn when cooked. A number of current corn dog vendors claim responsibility for the invention and/or popularization of the corn dog. Carl and Neil Fletcher lay such a claim, having introduced their "Corny Dogs" at the State Fair of Texas sometime between 1938 and 1942. The Pronto Pup vendors at the Minnesota State Fair claim to have invented the corn dog in 1941. Cozy Dog Drive-in, in Springfield, Illinois, claims to have been the first to serve corn dogs on sticks, on June 16, 1946. Also in 1946, Dave Barham opened the first location of Hot Dog on a Stick at Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California. The earliest known preparation of corn dogs, however, was in 1937. During a high schoolbaseball game in Adel, Iowa, ballpark vendors ran out of hot dog buns in the middle of the third inning. Roger Newman, a local tavern owner in attendance, took the remaining hot dogs and breaded them in a cornmeal batter he had prepared for an upcoming fish fry, and returned to the ballpark with them. Patrons used a variety of means to hold the corn dogs, including wax paper, paper cones, and even pocket knives.
Preparation
Corn dogs are often served as street food or as fast food. For the best and freshest preparation, some vendors or restaurateurs dip and fry their dogs just before serving. Some corn dog purveyors sell pre-made frozen corn dogs, which have been thawed and then fried again or browned in an oven. Corn dogs can also be found at almost any supermarket in North America as frozen food that can be heated and served. Pre-made frozen corn dogs can also be heated in a microwave oven, but the cornbread coating will lack texture.
Variations
One cheesy variation is prepared either with melted cheese between the hot dog and the breading or by using a cheese-filled hot dog. Another version is the "cornbrat", which is a corn dog made with bratwurst instead of a wiener or hot dog. They are also sold using different meats in the dog, such as pork and turkey. Small corn dogs, known as "corn puppies", "mini corn dogs", or "corn dog nuggets", are a variation served in some restaurants, generally on the children's menu or at fast food establishments. A serving includes multiple pieces, usually 10. In contrast to their larger counterparts, corn puppies are normally served stickless as finger food. A breakfast version of the corn dog features a breakfast sausage in place of the hot dog, and pancake batter in place of the cornmeal. This variation is commonly called a "pancake on a stick". It was formerly served by the drive-in restaurant Sonic, but now is made by companies such as Jimmy Dean. Both vegetarian corn dogs and corn dog nuggets are made as meatless alternatives by many of the same companies that produce vegetarian hot dogs.
In Argentina, a panchuker is a hot snack that can be bought near some train stations and in some places of heavy pedestrian transit. They are more popular in the inner country cities. A panchuker consists of a sausage covered with a waffle-like pastry, and has a stick in it so that it can be easily consumed. Some versions contain cheese, and sauces may be served to accompany them. Some variations may be found in Uruguay and other South American countries. Generally, panchukers are offered as a low-price fast food and can only be seen at certain provinces of the inner country, like La Plata, Belgrano, Villa Albertina, Cipoletti, and in Buenos Aires they can be found in Barrio Chino. They are particularly popular in the province of Tucumán.
Australia
In Australia, a hot dog sausage on a stick, deep fried in batter, is known as a Dagwood Dog, Pluto Pup, or Dippy Dog, depending on region. Variants use wheat-based or corn-based batters. These are not to be confused with the Australian battered sav, a saveloy deep fried in a wheat flour-based batter, as used for fish and chips, which generally does not contain cornmeal.
In Canada, a battered hot dog on a stick is called a "pogo" and is traditionally eaten with ordinary, yellow mustard, sometimes referred to as "ballpark mustard". It is named after the trademarked name of a Conagra inc. frozen product available in all of the country since the 1960s but whose main market is the province of Quebec.
New Zealand
Outside of Auckland, a New Zealand Hot Dog is invariably a deep fried battered sausage on a stick that is dipped in tomato ketchup. The batter can be cornmeal based or normal flour based. The distinction is not important. The sausage in a bun that is called a hot dog in other countries is known as an American Hot Dog.
Japan
In Japan, the equivalent food is usually called an "American Dog" based on the idea of where the food is believed to originate. It is also called "French Dog" in certain parts of Japan including Hokkaido. As presented in the Netflix version of Midnight Diner, season 1, episode 2, the hot dog can be substituted with a fish sausage.
In South Korea, a corn dog is one of the most popular street foods. A corn dog is usually called "hot dog" in the Korean language, creating confusion with a genuine hot dog. A French fry-encrusted corn dog, or "Kogo," has especially attracted the attention of Western visitors, including vegans.
