Hot dogs likely originated in Europe, with strong claims from Frankfurt, Germany (frankfurter) and Vienna, Austria (wiener). German immigrants brought the concept to the United States in the 19th century, where street vendors and famous stands on Coney Island helped popularize them as an American street- food staple. In the U.S., the term hot dog culturally solidified in the late 1800s and early 1900s, aided by marketing and iconic stands such as Feltman’s in Brooklyn and Nathan’s at Coney Island. Today, hot dogs are globally popular, but their roots trace back to German-emigrant sausage traditions and Central European sausage-making practices.
