- A corn dog is a sausage (usually a hot dog) on a stick that has been coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter and deep fried.
- It originated in the United States and is commonly found in American cuisine.
- Newly arrived German immigrants in Texas, who were sausage-makers finding resistance to the sausages they used to make, have been credited with introducing the corn dog to the United States, though the serving stick came later.
- A “Krusty Korn Dog” baker machine appeared in the 1926 Albert Pick-L. Barth wholesale catalog of hotel and restaurant supplies. The ‘korn dogs’ were baked in a corn batter and resembled ears of corn when cooked.
- On 1927, the idea of fried food on a stick was filed for a patent in the US. On 1929, the patent was accepted. On the patent, it states that many foods other than sausages can also be used in the same way that a corn dog is prepared. The patent also states that by having a stick, the stick would allow the fried food to be handled and eaten in a cleaner way.
- A number of current corn dog vendors claim responsibility for the invention and/or popularization of the corn dog. Carl and Neil Fletcher lay such a claim, having introduced their “Corny Dogs” at the State Fair of Texas sometime between 1938 and 1942. The Pronto Pup vendors at the Minnesota State Fair claim to have invented the corn dog in 1941.
- In Canada, a battered hot dog on a stick is called a “pogo” and is traditionally eaten with ordinary, yellow mustard, sometimes referred to as “ballpark mustard”.
- In Australia, a hot dog sausage on a stick, deep fried in batter, is known as a Dagwood Dog, Pluto Pup, or Dippy Dog, depending on region.
- In Argentina, a panchuker is a hot snack that can be bought near some train stations and in some places of heavy pedestrian transit.
- A New Zealand Hot Dog is invariably a deep fried battered sausage on a stick that is dipped in tomato ketchup. The sausage is thicker than a frankfurter, resulting in a thinner batter layer than American
Corndogs.
- In Japan, the equivalent food is usually called an “American Dog” based on the idea of where the food is believed to originate. It is also called “French Dog” in certain parts of Japan including Hokkaido.
- In South Korea, a corn dog is one of the most popular street foods. A corn dog is usually called “hot dog” in the Korean language (???), creating confusion with a genuine hot dog.