The Subway menu is continuing to expand, and the most recent addition is almost guaranteed to reignite the years-long “Is the hotdog a sandwich?” debate. The beloved sandwich chain appeared to take a stance on the argument with the introduction of Sub Dogs, which debuted on Subway menus in South Korea this month.
Sub Dogs, according to Chew Boom, are made with Johnsonville Sausages are come in three different varieties. The original Sub Dog boasts a Johnsonville Sausage that is topped with shredded cheese, mustard and ketchup, plus bell peppers, onions, pickles, and jalapeño slices. The Double Cheese Sub Dog features all of those ingredients, but with a double portion of shredded cheese. The third variety, dubbed the Avocado Sub Dog, features a Johnsonville Sausage dressed with shredded cheese, avocado, ketchup, mustard, pickles, bell peppers, onions, and jalapeno slices. Customers ordering the new Sub Dogs are participating Subway locations across South Korea for a limited time can have their sandwiches served on their choice of bread.
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The Sub Dogs are just the latest move in the ongoing debate over whether hot dogs can be considered sandwiches or not. Taking a stance in the conundrum, Eric Mittenthal, president of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, told AllRecipes that hot dogs are not sandwiches, noting that “if ou go to a hot dog vendor and you say give me a sandwich, they’re going to look at you like you’re crazy. It’s just culturally not the same as a sandwich.” Mittenthal said the hot dog is its own unique item that exceeds the sandwich category. It breaks itself free of the sandwich category. People love to argue with us, but no, a hot dog is not a sandwich.”
However, not everyone is in agreement with Mittenthal. In fact, the Merriam-Webster has even weighed in, declaring hot dogs sandwiches. The dictionary noted that “the definition of sandwich is ‘two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between,” declaring on their website, “there is no sensible way around it…a hot dog is also a kind of sandwich.” It is also important to note that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes a sandwich as “a meat or poultry filling between two slices of bread, a bun, or a biscuit,” meaning that by that definition, a hot dog is a sandwich.
While Subway fans in the U.S. won’t get the chance to weigh in on the ongoing hot dog debate, Subway is giving U.S. costumers plenty to get excited about. Over the course of the past several months, the chain has been revamping its U.S. menu through its Eat Fresh Refresh promotion, which it described as “monumental updates to the entire core menu” to make “Subway better than ever.” The revamp has brought the return of several beloved menu items as well as the introduction of new items, including the Chicken & Bacon Ranch sandwich and the Baja Chicken & Bacon sandwich.
