Also called frankfurter, frank, weenie, wiener, red dog and dachshund, the hot dog is among America’s favorite foods. Americans consume an average of 60 hot dogs per person annually and most are eaten between Memorial Day and Labor Day. On the July 4th holiday weekend alone, 155 million hot dogs are downed. Mustard is the favorite condiment.

Although the hot dog may be considered inexpensive and lacking in sophistication, it certainly had the approval of President Franklin Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor when they hosted a picnic at their estate Hyde Park, New York, in 1939 for visiting King George VI and Queen Mary of England. The royal guests were served hot dogs and the king asked for seconds.

Sausage is one of the oldest forms of processed food, mentioned in Homer’s “Odyssey” in the 9th century B.C. From that history, the hot dog we enjoy today came about. No doubt the frankfurter, also known as a dachshund, became a hot dog when it was put in a bun.

It is...