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The Cty of Big Shoulders. Hog butcher to the world. And now Chicago is
the home of the world's longest hot dog. Not a two or three foot dog--
a wonderful whopper of a wiener at Taste of Chicago.
It happened in the misty spray of Buckingham Fountain. Vienna Beef, America's
dog and Alpha Bakery combined to go after the gold medal in the dog-eat-dog
world of hotdog making.
"We're building the world's longest hot dog to get us into the Guinness
Book of World Records," said Manolis Alpogianis, owner, America's
Dog.
The old record of fifteen feet three inches is held by some sausage heads
in Pennsylvania. The new record, set today, is just over sixteen feet.
And apparently, this is important.
"The Chicago style hot dog is part of Chicago history and to have
this company out of Pennsylvania holding the record we thought it was
our job to get the record back," said George Alpogianis, owner of
America's Dog.
Sixteen feet one inch, the world' longest hot dog. What a thrill! But
then again this isn't really an official Chicago hot dog until they top
it off with the toppings. This wonderful weenie gets the works. To begin
with, a quart of that bright yellow mustard ... Followed by the bright
green relish.
"Approximately one pound of relish here."
This is national hot dog month and by the end of July we Americans we
consume over two billion hot dogs. "We've got a pound of onions going
on here, maybe a pound and a quarter."
Then the tomato slices and enough peppers to make this a hotter dog.
"Forty two sport peppers in total."
"Thirty six kosher picker spears."
And finally? "Celery salt." It just wouldn't be official? "Not
without celery salt. That's what makes it a Chicago hot dog."
Just in case you're wondering, no, it wasn't eaten. "It's edible,
but it's been out here in the sun for an hour or so and we can't feet
it to the masses," said Tom McGlade, exec. v.p. Vienna Beef.
But Vienna is donating a whole pile of regular size hot dogs to the Chicago
Food Depository.
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