"A hot dog is a type of fully-cooked, cured and sometimes smoked sausage of even texture and flavor that is softer and moister than most other sausages. It is the sausage most readily eaten as finger food, especially in the United States. It is usually placed hot in a soft, sliced bun of the same shape as the sausage, and optionally includes condiments and toppings.
Hot dogs are also called frankfurters, or franks for short (named after the city of Frankfurt, Germany, the original frankfurters are made of pork only), or wieners or weenies (named after the city of Vienna, Austria, whose German name is "Wien", the original wieners are made of a mixture of pork and beef). In Australia, the term frankfurt is used rather than frankfurter.
Sausages similar to hot dogs were made and consumed in Europe, particularly in Germany, as early as 1864. Even in the United States, the hot dog's association with baseball also predates the 1904 Exposition. St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe sold them at his ballpark in the 1880s. While many persons are credited with the "invention" of the hot dog, according to the National Hot Dog Council the hot dog was invented in the 17th century by a German butcher named Johann Georghehner."
