Thanks to a little-known city ordinance, it is actually illegal to possess or sell ketchup within the city of Chicago. Not really, but sometimes it sure seems that way; and here's 4 words to tell you why:
Chicago. Style. Hot. Dog.
The origins of the Chicago Dog come from (where else) the 1893 World's Fair. Two Jewish brothers set up a cart outside of the fairgrounds(perhaps in Washington, Jackson, or Midway Parks), where they sold kosher-style sausages(all beef, served in a natural casing). The success of this venture led the brothers to open up a butcher shop, which went on to become known as the Vienna Beef Company, which is the leading hot-dog producer in the city. However, the Chicago Dog as we know it today would not have come about without the help of the Great Depression. During the Depression, the idea of making a dog "dragged through the garden" was born. This involves topping the dog with onions, relish, a sport pepper, a pickle, a tomato slice, celery salt, and MOST importantly, MUSTARD.
Nowadays, Chicago Dogs are prepared much the same way that they were during the days of the depression, though some shops opt to serve the Dog with French Fries, and Portillo's offers a dog with cheese sauce. One final note about Hot Dogs. Chicago has more hot dog stores than it has McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King franchises COMBINED. And when I say that our dogs are served with MUSTARD, I'm not joking. In fact, some hot-dog stores in the city don't even offer Ketchup as one of their available condiments. So if you're craving a Chicago Dog, I highly recommend that you have an appetite for Mustard.
No comments:
Post a Comment