The Great Debate: Is a Hotdog a Sandwich?

**The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools**

Debate is essential to democracy. But debate isn’t just limited to presidents and politicians and world issues, sometimes the lighthearted quarrels go viral and make people question their beliefs. Food debates have emerged online from which fast food chain has the best fries to when is it too cold to eat ice cream to what constitutes a sandwich. 

There are seemingly infinitely many ways to make a sandwich, from classic flavors like PB&J to comforting grilled cheese to sophisticated deli sandwiches. Almost anything can go between two pieces of bread- including sausages? Does that mean hotdogs are also sandwiches?

While hotdogs are traditionally distinct from sandwiches, hotdogs do contain meat between two pieces of bread, similar to a hamburger. Is this configuration the new equivalence class of sandwiches? Here’s what VHHS students have to say. 

“No!!!”

“No.”

“No way.”

“Yes.”

‘They’re more similar to tacos because of the shape of the outside bread, but I’d say yes.”

“Definitely no!”

“Yes!”

“No, the bread can’t be connected.”

“No, a sandwich is made from two separate pieces of bread with stuff in between while a hotdog is only one piece of bread. While a hotdog has bread on both sides, they’re usually connected at the bottom which makes them a piece of bread, not a sandwich.”

Personally, it depends on the definition of sandwich for me. If a sandwich is simply something jammed between two pieces of bread, then a hotdog is a sandwich. But 1. the buns are frequently connected in commercially sold hotdogs, and 2. my taste buds can definitely distinguish a hotdog bun from sandwich bread. 

While VHHS students might disagree, the dictionary and New York law consider hotdogs sandwiches. The debate seemed settled until netizens questioned the classification of other foods, wondering if Pop Tarts were ravioli. Chaos ensued when netizens realized that chicken wraps, tacos, burritos, and Pop Tarts could also be sandwiches. There needed to be a unified food classification. 

Netizens have devised a cube rule to standardize the classification of foods. Foods are classified based on the number of sides with starch. Foods with no starch include salads. Foods surrounded by starch are calzones. There are classifications for everything in between. There are also bonus categories including cake (layers of starch), nachos (starch elements not enclosed by starch), and uncut toast (completely starch). https://cuberule.com/ 

For the definitive answer, sandwiches have starch on the top and bottom faces of the “cube.” Since hotdog bread is frequently attached on the side, hotdogs are considered tacos: starch on three consecutive sides. However, separating hotdog buns probably turns the hotdog into a sandwich.