How do you say hot dog in Australia?

Hungry for Hot Dogs? Here are 10 Fun Facts You Should Know

No other street food is probably as universally loved as hot dogs. Wherever you are in the world, whether in the streets of London, Berlin, New York or Sydney, you’re sure to find a hot dog stand that serves the best-tasting sausages in a bun.

And because you’re here, we’re guessing you’ve already tasted hot dog heaven and want to find out more about this delectable delight. No worries. We’ll satiate your appetite as we list 10 interesting facts about this tasty treat.

1. The origin of hot dogs is still widely debated today. Various claims and tales exist as to how this dish came to be. Many trace its origin to Frankfurt, Germany, where frankfurter or pork sausages that closely resemble hot dogs came from. People of Vienna (or Wien in German), Austria also claim they invented the dish, referring to the term “wiener” to back their claim.
2. America is hailed as the hot dog capital of the world, and for good reason. Americans consume about 150 million hot dogs on the Fourth of July (their Independence Day) alone. They were also found to have spent approximately $2.5 million on sausages in 2013.
3. Franklin Roosevelt served hot dogs to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their first visit to the United States. Roosevelt hosted an American-style picnic for the British monarchs at Hyde Park. Sure enough, these delectable treats made it to the menu, much to the royal couple’s delight.
4. The world’s longest hot dog is 1,996 feet long. It was manufactured by Sara Lee Corp. in honour of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. And guess what year it was? Yep, it was 1996!
5. Hot dogs are not as exotic as others make them out to be. The ingredients of these tasty treats have been the constant subject of humour, rumour and urban myths. Some even went as far as to suggest that they’re made from earthworms! Fortunately, there’s no truth to this. Hot dogs are actually made from a combination of meat (mainly pork or beef), making them a good source of protein.
6. In Australia, the most popular toppings are mustard and ketchup. Australians rarely eat their sausages without toppings; adding relishes or sauces make the dish even tastier!
7. Nowadays, hot dogs aren’t just for the streets or sports arenas. They’ve truly evolved from being a working class street food to being a classic culinary treat, often being served by corporate catering companies in business events.
8. World’s most expensive hot dog costs $169. Tokyo Dog in Seattle, USA currently holds the world title for the most expensive hot—or should we say haute—dog ever sold. The pricey dish, called the Juuni Ban, contains smoked cheese bratwurst, Maitake mushrooms, butter Teriyaki grilled onions, Wagyu beef, shaved black truffles, foie gras, Japanese mayonnaise, and caviar on a brioche bun.
9. Mickey Mouse’s first words on screen were “Hot dog!” It was in the 1929 animated short film The Karnival Kid that Mickey Mouse first spoke, marking his transition from the silent screen.
10. Hotdog days are celebrated around the world, including Australia, USA, Great Britain and Canada, with July designated as the National Hot Dog month. Activities such as eating contests, carnivals and parades are organised around this month.

There’s no denying the appeal of hot dogs to our taste buds. It’s not surprising why many food catering companies, not just in Sydney or elsewhere in Australia, are tapping this classic dish and making their own versions of this tasty sausage in a bun.

Are there any fun facts we’ve missed? Feel free to add to our list below.

Glossary of Australian Food Terms

So you’re going to Australia and one of the things you’re looking forward to is the fact that the Aussies speak English, which means a lot less stress all around. Right? Well, yes and no on that one, mates.

Yes, they do speak English and no, one can’t always understand it. Even after tuning into the cadence, broad pronunciations and vocal upturns at the end of sentences, it’s soon clear that the Aussies have their own distinctive brand of English. The fact is that the Australian fondness for using nicknames and colloquialisms for almost everything leaves most people completely in the dark as to what they’re talking about. «Bikie» is short for a motorcycle-gang member, «bangers» and «snags» are just two of the several terms for sausage, «ripper» means excellent, «snaffle» refers to quickly grabbing something, «titch» is a tiny amount, «chook» is chicken, and it goes on and on. If you want to see a great example of some of this slang in action, read the ‘Aussie translation’ on this Thailand Map by Compare The Market.

The list below gives a few of the most common Australian food-and-drink terms, plus many of their «slanguage» idioms. For a complete reference to Aussie colloquialisms see the excellent The Penguin Book of Australian Slang by Lenie Johansen.

Adam’s ale Water.

adjigo A yam native to coastal Western Australia.

amber fluid Beer.

Anzac Biscuits; Anzacs A cookie flavored with rolled oats, coconut, and golden syrup. During World War I, tins of these popular cookies were shipped to ANZAC («Australian and New Zealand Army Corps») soldiers, hence the name.

aubergine Eggplant.

avocado pear Avocado.

b & d Brandy and ginger ale

baked dinner A traditional Australian Sunday meal of chook (chicken), lamb or beef and vegetables.

Balmain bug Small, sweet crayfish found in Sydney harbor and eponymously named after a Sydney suburb.

banger Link sausage.

bangers and mash Sausages and mashed potatoes.

Barbie Barbecue.

barley water A drink made from a boiled mixture of water and barley.

barra Abbreviation for barramundi.

barramundi; barra Aboriginal name for any of several types of large Australian freshwater fish, particularly those found in northern Australia.

beer-up A beer-drinking party.

beetroot Beet.

bicarbonate of soda Baking soda.

bickie Biscuit.

billy tea Traditionally, tea made in a billy (metal can) over a campfire.

binder 1. Cheese. 2. A hearty meal.

biscuit Cookie.

black and tan A mixture of beer and stout.

black velvet A drink made with champagne and stout.

boiler A fowl that’s tough and must be boiled to become tender.

bottle shop Liquor store.

brekkie; brekky Breakfast.

brownie Beer that comes in a brown glass bottle.

bubble and squeak A dish made by frying leftover meat and vegetables (typically mashed potatoes) together.

bum-nuts Eggs

bunya nuts Large nuts from the cone of the huge Bunya pine tree. These nuts have a tough fibrous casing. The starchy nutmeat has a texture similar to a chestnut and a subtly sweet macadamia/pine nut flavor.

bush tomato A small, pungent berry from a tomato-related shrub found in Australia’s central desert regions. Also called «desert raisin.»

BYO Restaurants that do not sell alcohol have a «bring-your-own» policy; the corkage is minimal, typically no more than $5.

capsicum Sweet bell pepper.

caulie Cauliflower.

chewie; chewy Chewing gum.

Chips — French fries or potato crisps. To «spit chips» means you are very angry.

chips French fries.

chockies Chocolate.

chook Chicken.

coldie A cold bottle of beer.

counter meal Pub food.

courgette Zucchini.

crisps Potato chips.

cuppa A cup of tea
.
cut lunch Sandwich

damper A simple outback bread made with flour, water and leavening. The dough is kneaded, formed into a round, and cooked in a pot buried in the coals of an open fire.

desert raisin see BUSH TOMATO.

dodger 1. Bread. 2. Sausage.

entrée Appetizer; starter. See also MAIN.

Esky The trademark name for a popular portable food and beverage cooler.

flagon Two-liter bottle of wine.

flake Shark meat.

floater A meat pie sitting in a pool of gravy or soupy peas.

Frankfurt Hot dog.

German sausage Bologna.

greasies Fried food, such as fish and chips.

green one A bottle of Victoria Bitter.

greens Green vegetables.

grog All-purpose name for alcohol.

ice block; icy pole Popsicle or ice cream bar.

kakadu plum A round, tartly sweet, green plum that is extraordinarily high in vitamin C.

Lamingtons Sponge cake cubes dipped in chocolate icing, then coconut. Reputedly named for popular-nineteenth century Queensland Governor Baron Lamington.

lemon aspen Small, pale yellow fruit with a tart citrus flavor.

lemon myrtle Lemon-flavored leaves and stems of a native rain forest tree.

lemonade 7-Up.

lobbies Lobsters.

lolly; lollies Candy.

main A meal’s main course (what Americans call «entrée»).

marge Margarine.

Marmite Brand name of a concentrated dark brown yeast-extract paste with an assertively salty flavor (though less so than its cousin VEGEMITE) and a slightly sweet undertaste.

mash Mashed potatoes.

meat pies Individual meat pies (often turnover-shaped), with the meat-and-gravy filling completely enclosed in the crust.

middy New South Wales and Western Australia colloquialism for a medium-size (about 9-ounce) glass of beer.

milk bar Convenience store.

moo-juice Milk.

Morton Bay bug Crayfish from the waters of Queensland.

mudbugs Crayfish.

muddie A large crab found in the wetlands of Queensland and New South Wales.

muntries Small, crunchy, apple-flavored berries found in South Australia. Also called «native cranberries.»

murphy Potato.

mushie Mushroom.

native cranberries see MUNTRIES

nosh 1. A snack. 2. To eat.

nosh-up 1. A raid on the refrigerator. 2. An excellent meal.

Pavlova; pav A large meringue filled with whipped cream and fruit. Named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova.

pawpaw Papaya.

plonk A super-cheap wine.

porridge Oatmeal.

pot Large mug of beer.

pudding Dessert.

quandong The outback’s most famous fruit has a bright red skin and a flavor reminiscent of a tart, acidic peach. Quandongs are high in vitamin C. They’re also called «native,» «wild» or «desert peach.»

roast dinner Beef or lamb roasted with potatoes and other vegetables.
rocket Arugula.

rockmelon Cantaloupe.

sambo; sammie Sandwich.

sanger Sandwich.

saveloy Hot dog.

serviette Table napkin.

shandy A drink comprised of beer and lemonade.

short black Single espresso (tall black is a double).

silverbeet Swiss chard.

silverside Corned beef.

sinker Pie.

smoko Tea break.

snag Sausage.

snatch-and-grab Take-out food.

snorker Sausage.

spag bol Spaghetti Bolognese.

stubby A squat bottle of beer.

sweets Dessert.

takeaway; take-away Take-out food.

tall black Double espresso («short black» is a single espresso).

tatie; tater Potato.

tea 1. Dinner (main evening meal). 2. The beverage.

tinny Can of beer.

tomato sauce Ketchup.

treacle Molasses.

tucker Food. Bush tucker is outback food, such as grubs, and so on.

tucker box Refrigerator or other container for food.

Vegemite Brand name of a thick, dark brown, intensely salty yeast extract paste flavored with a variety of ingredients including celery and onions. It’s used as a bread spread and is a favorite on breakfast toast.

wattle seed A small, oval, black variety of the Acacia seed. After being dry-roasted and ground, the seed’s color changes to mustard-brown, its naturally nutty flavor becomes rich and coffeelike. Wattle seed is used in myriad foods including rice, soups, meat rubs and baked goods.

wild lime Small, round citrus fruit with a color that ranges from pale yellow to pale green and a flavor reminiscent of limes and grapefruit. Also called «desert lime» and «tropical yellow lime.»

witchetty (witjuti) grub A large, white grub (thick, wormlike larva of certain moths and beetles). Definitely an acquired taste, though greatly prized by many. They’re typically barbecued and sometimes eaten raw.

yabby; yabbie Crayfish.

©Sharon Tyler Herbst

Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.