A corn dog is a sausage (usually a hot dog) on a stick that has been coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter and deep fried.
It originated in the United States and is commonly found in American cuisine.
Newly arrived German immigrants in Texas, who were 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 “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.
On 1927, the idea of fried food on a stick was filed for a patent in the US. On 1929, the patent was accepted. On the patent, it states that many foods other than sausages can also be used in the same way that a corn dog is prepared. The patent also states that by having a stick, the stick would allow the fried food to be handled and eaten in a cleaner way.
The earliest known year when the corn dog was first prepared in the US was on 1937. During a high school baseball game in Adel, Iowa, ballpark vendors ran out of hot dog buns for their hot dogs. Roger Newman, a local tavern owner who runs one of the vendors, took the remaining hot dogs in order to make corn dogs without sticks. He breaded each hot dog in a cornmeal batter that he had prepared for an upcoming fish fry, and returned to the ballpark with these corn dogs. Even though there were not any sticks for any of the corn dogs, patrons held the corn dogs with a wide variety of different methods. Some patrons held the corn dogs with wax paper, paper cones, and even pocket knives.
Corn dogs really exploded in popularity during the 1940s, when they became a staple at state fairs and carnivals.
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.
Today, corn dogs are enjoyed around the world.
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”.
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.
In Argentina, a panchuker is a hot snack that can be bought near some train stations and in some places of heavy pedestrian transit.
A New Zealand Hot Dog is invariably a deep fried battered sausage on a stick that is dipped in tomato ketchup. The sausage is thicker than a frankfurter, resulting in a thinner batter layer than American
Corndogs.
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.
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 (ํซ๋๊ทธ), creating confusion with a genuine hot dog.
In the United States, 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.