Regional Hot Dog Secrets Revealed

We outline the ingredients that provide the signature flavors of the most delicious regional dogs – and give you recipes so you can travel the hot dog nation without ever leaving home.

1. New York
   Signature ingredient: red onion sauce
   For that straight-from-the-street cart flavor, you’ve got to top your dog with this onion/tomato paste concoction.
   Recipe via Martha Stewart
2. Chicago
   Signature ingredient: celery salt
   When it comes to the Chicago dog, sport peppers are optional. But celery salt? NOT OPTIONAL. And ketchup is strictly prohibited.
   Recipe via Craftsy
3. Kansas City
   Signature ingredient: caraway seed
   In KCMO, people like to name their dogs Reuben.
   Recipe via Delish 
4. Carolina Style
   Signature ingredient: coleslaw
   Chili dogs can be found from Dallas to Delaware (we’ve got our own killer recipe here), but adding coleslaw really puts this dog on the map.
   Recipe via Sugar Dish Me 
5. Southwestern Sonora Dog
   Signature ingredient: bacon
   This new contender in the hot dog game got its start in Mexico, reached perfection in Tucson and (according to some) was ruined in Los Angeles. Stick with a basic recipe like the one below and you can’t go wrong.
   Recipe via Food Fanatics
6. Seattle
   Signature ingredient: cream cheese
   Legend has it that this hot dog’s inventor was originally a bagel man, and he just couldn’t quit the cream cheese.
   Recipe via Food.com
7. St. Louis
   Signature ingredient: Provel cheese
   Sadly, no real St. Louis dog exists, but their pizza is legendary – and highly controversial, thanks to the addition of Provel cheese.

    

   Just substitute the mozzarella cheese in this Real Simple pizza dog with homemade Provel using this recipe via Life in a Skillet.

8. Texas
   Everything’s bigger in Texas, right? This recipe, which you can find here on the Ball Park site, piles on the chili, cheese and jalapeños for a taste that knocks it out of the park.