Earlier this year, a large debate broke out in the hub. Beginning with the question “is a hot dog a sandwich,” a heated argument ensued, roping in faculty, students, and even spreading to the middle school. And there is only one right answer: a hot dog is not a sandwich, and neither is a sub.

By definition, a sandwich is two separate pieces of starch that “sandwich” some form of filling. The key difference between a sandwich and a sub is the connecting piece of the bread. If the sub has a connected piece of bread, meaning the starch is not completely separated, then it does not fit the definition of a sandwich. By this definition, a hot dog would not be considered a sandwich, as the starch is connected on three sides. People may disagree with this definition, but it is most definitely the right answer.

To expand and probably burst your mind even further, I’d like to introduce the cube rule of food. Now, I don’t necessarily agree with this theory, as some of the assumptions are pretty outlandish, but I think it is important to consider. Basically, the cube rule of food puts every food into a category based on the placement of starch, and if there is no starch, it is considered a salad.

While I think this theory brings up some interesting points, I think the categorizations are too generalized, and there are other factors when categorizing food. 

By this theory, a hot dog would be considered a taco. According to the history of taco by Vallarta Eats, “The word taco comes from the Nahuatl word ‘tlahco’ which means ‘half or in the middle’, referring to the way it is formed.” Technically, one could argue that this definition of taco supports the idea that a hot dog is a taco. I think that there are some concerns with this categorization, as a taco itself is very culturally based and has other qualities that make something a true taco, but if using this definition alone, a hot dog would most definitely be considered a taco. Many people I spoke to agreed with this categorization of a hot dog.

Would you be happy if you ordered a taco at a restaurant and were given a hot dog? Probably not, but that doesn’t discount the idea that technically, and according to this definition, a hot dog fits the parameters for categorization.

Photo by Yuheng Chen on Unsplash