Hawaiian Hot Dogs "Circuitous Island Tubes"

Where are the Hawaii Hot Dogs?

In between a steaming dish washing machine and employee’s from the front is the dish pit and right in the back where the kitchen is where the action is. Chris Steel would be handling casing at the Whole Ox Butchery in Kakaako and in the growing area of the Outskirts Downtown Honolulu South Side. The Sous Chef comes in after things have died down from the morning rush and a gift comes from Hank’s Haute Dogs: a tray of Pineapple Ice. A discussion ensues with talks about their Genuine Chicago Vienna all-beef dog and Lobster dog as some of the hot dogs to try that day. People in Hawaii really like their sausages, they like their choices of on the go food options, and they low-key have a soft spot for their hot dogs.

The restaurant has been closed for years and those who were there for its years of operation will remember artisanal sausages, an old fashioned butchery, with some Hawaii only food, but that time has passed. Gone are those days and the same for Hank’s that fixed us up with some delicious treats or delicious hot dogs. There was never a large crowd of excitement for hot dogs as they would open and close, or not be particularly interesting enough for the news to follow, because the hot dog is a simple food. 

So who would be excited for a Hot Dog? The largest crowds of people are those heading for a place where people buy things in bulk, the longest lines of people that are certainly excited at the thought of affordability of a hot dog and other things the big box stores may provide. The particular one they would be thinking of is the membership only lines at Costco or Sam’s Club. Tossing themselves into the line for the most standard of American foods, a ¼ Costco dog with a drink is the combo that people crave. A super-cheap price hot dog with a drink when even the simplest plate lunch prices rise? Count many working class citizens to have a big reason to get excited, because it's how many get introduced to the hot dog in Hawaii.

For many years there wouldn’t be anything notable about people opening a Hot Dog shop in Hawaii, because a Hot Dog was what people would throw on the hibachi-grill, maybe see at a party with some friends who have strictly American flavor palettes from time to time. There were the grocery store hot dogs people would eat with Hawaii Chili and local favorites being: Arabiki Hot Dogs, Shoyu Hot Dogs, Redondos Winner Red Hot Dogs, and Purity Portuguese Sausage Hot Dogs, but it still wasn’t enough for people to want to go off to search for a specialty hot dog joint. These sorts of hot dogs were the normal hot dogs and weren’t seen as anything really all that special, so it would seem there would be no reason to celebrate those varieties… 

When going to different places and talking to different people there can be much more to it than that and what is special can be on the same island, but people just are not where the Hot Dog conversations are being had. Going into Waikiki though the red hot dogs are called “Hawaiian Hot Dogs”, going to the base there would be military folk arguing a polish dog or the exotic “Portuguese Sausage Hot Dog”, and going to a sports game there are those who start talking about the best hot dog in Hawaii. Maybe there were local blinders and the hot dog was taken for granted and maybe, just maybe, the path of the Hot Dog Journey is hidden in plain sight.

Who is the Hawaii Hot Dog Even For?

As a child growing up, eating a hot dog from home is easy, because it is something a kid who wants something to eat might grab the package of hot dogs and throw it on a pan to cook, or throw it in a microwave for a snack. With the fast-food being at Hawaii drive-ins, Hawaii convenience stores with the “7-11 Big Bite”, big box stores like Costco, or sports events that serve them up they really are all over the place. They go very far back when asking some of the older folks who grew up with the old-roads and railroad-system of the plantation days where a hot dog cart would be around, maybe a hot dog truck by an army camp, and a diner might have had it along with the rest of its extensive menu list. Going to places that serve Chili will have two Hot Dogs with rice and macaroni salad for a nice plate lunch or simply served on a grill with sticks on them at a fair. Hot dogs are a matter of great debate in a series of versus battles, like: Chicago Dogs (All Vienna-beef) vs. Hawaii Dogs (Red Snap Hot Dogs), Chicago-style Hot Dogs vs. Honolulu-style Hot Dogs (the seven ingredients argument), Polish Dogs vs. Portuguese Dogs (Purity), Andadogs vs. Corn Dogs (Mainland-Varieties & Korean-Varieties), and lastly the Hawaii Waffledogs vs. Mainland Waffle Dogs. 

The hot dog is a tubular object that has its own flavor and still looks like it is waiting to be discovered, but really it travels all around the world, being a popular wartime food, and has always been something of an American traveler of cuisine. Arriving in Hawaii the food that comes from the mainland is seen to have disturbed the consciousness of foods by being based from a foreign land and with that the Hawaiian Hot Dog is “Not Hawaiian”, but to mark its American regionality it has become known as a “Hawaiian Hot Dog”. Those who want to argue about the word tend to be fighting for the word change of the name do to less awareness of historical definitions to those who care about history, those who are uncomfortable with a American mindset from generational trauma, or simply want to turn a food into a political message they want to get across. At this point the foreign food that has made it self at home is the discussion of politics, belief systems, or… a person can choose to just eat whats tastes good. A person can be the judge and have fun with a hot dog or always think of how a hot dog can change the political climate of Ceded lands.

For the sake of explanation the engagement of words must happen to make a strong turn against the waves to bring the discussion back to the world of food. A foreign guest with a foreign-definition conveniently uses what is familiar and relevant to them and overtime it is added to the ever growing number of definitions in a word. Offended are those who take the stance of an absolute historic etymology where a word can never be used in different contexts by different people who see the word from how they were introduced to it or how they personally have chosen to say it in their day-to-day lives in their tribe(s) they spend time with. These are where things are said that “Hot Dogs are Haole” implying the folk etymology definition, or “Colonial Hot Dog” that implies attachment of a Territorial Period Historic argument, and then the neverending global argument that Pineapple isn’t a pairing with Meat. 

Many modern interpretations have what is called Folk etymology, because when things were set they were from an academic body or a person of a disciplined professional to sort of say what are the words to use. Those words would come to be the words, but that was used in a way to cause socializing and entertainment, which made it a popular-social discussion. Folk Etymology is oftentimes imposed as an interpretation, for example many people in Hawaii commonly refer to Local-Context of hot dogs and that simply is calling it a “hot dog”. When the discussion focuses on regionality the local-context is a “Hawaii Hot Dog”, but rarely will they call it a “Hawaiian Hot Dog”. When a foreign-context is involved a “Hawaiian Hot Dog” is regionally from Hawaii as it is common and in the foreign-context it is right, but in a local-context it is wrong. The more definitions that are attached to something like hot dog can change the words primary definition, make it more complex and confusing, and possibly harder to understand. But this is an ongoing war of word-relevancy rather than word-etymology of how people use the word and how popular the word is and how many people care about the word, etc.

Looking from the outside in a focus so much on Hot Dogs is a peek into the world of Hot Dog Affianados that are in a world of tubular-meat like things, sauces and relishes, breads, and a peek into their thoughts. It's about food being a part of someone's culture and how they eat it reflects that and how they say it reflects that and the sorts of concoctions are too many to list. It's a peek into the world of the cooks and the eaters in what they choose to dwell on in the eating experience and that expands the ideas of what people are set on when eating their hot dogs. If someone had the thoughts of anything related to Hawaii meets Hot Dog then this would be where they would be reading as there is so much that people don’t look at when it comes to the Hot Dog from its history, to its variety, to its culture, and what makes it part of those who eat it.

The Tropical Smoothie & Hawaii Hot Dog Establishment

Tell someone your favorite Hot Dog and where it's from and they will wonder what sort of dog is worth a mention in a far away place, but then say that it's a nice place to eat a hot dog, but not as excited about the dog itself. As the day comes to an end and the sunset begins with the sun going down and people meet by Lanikai Juice in the youth hang out where some do business, some look at the art, and some are moving through life from one establishment to another there are factions of foodies: Real food vs Not Real Food with the gatekeepers, Innovated Food vs Historificated Food, Kamehameha Football vs Punahou Football, opinions of what people in Hawaii sees as a battle worth fighting with all sorts of people arguing all sorts of things and the food that eaten is no different. The people who are going through the juice bar are people heading the news station, a comedian coming back from a gig, and even some local girls with their usuals in mind to get refreshed after hitting the sets of waves after work.

“Anytime is good time for a fruit juice or smoothie. There is no shortage of fruit available on the islands. The taste is just great." -Juice Regular, Surfer Girl, Makiki

The people who come to the establishment tend to seek out a Juice Drink that is in tune with their health goals, the freshness of fruit, and ingredients that are the flavors of Hawaii, and if they are locally sourced it's even better to them. They usually go to get themselves something as they are on their way to do something else and one of those things can be grabbing a hot dog, so it is no wonder there is a small group of opinionated hot dog aficionados sitting alone against the wall with their sweet juice in hand and hot dog in the other. Chomping away minding their own they brag that they are doing their own thing without historical restrictions and eating the thing they crave. The hardcore hot dog people in Hawaii know so much about hot dogs and follow to see where the new hot dog places are coming, the morning routine of setting up the hot dog stand, and all the different kinds of things you can get on other islands. But the rate of people who are into hot dogs isn’t rising at a fast rate and not flying high to the clouds. Hot dog people don’t live as long as the fruit filled surfers, they both are going to the same place, however the Hot Dog people say that they have more fun.

The hardcore hot dog people who are judged as those with bad taste, trash food, give into guilty pleasures, and are poor as they eat affordable food at the big box store. Those looking for Hot Dogs of regional variety seem to be overwhelmed with excitement and that sort of mindset generally negates the judgment of others and begins to boggle others mind and create curiosity and look of disgust as it's only about a Hot Dog. In surprise they are almost lured in to try one for the sake of wondering what could be so good about it, some will have a smile, while others look even more disgusting than before. Not everyone gets why people would go to find a hot dog or have their identity tied to a hot dog and want to have a juice and hot dog in a combo as a rule to themselves. But at the end of the day when the naysayers have spoken their loudest of arguments it is often them who is in the line for an affordable less than gourmet hot dog outside of costco. They are probably hoping to not be recognized as they bite into their shamefully tubular meat they swore was trash. 

As for the hardcore Hawaii’s Hot Dogs are for the proud Kama’aina (born of the land) and it really bonds those from foreign places, unless its representatives of the Chicago Dog or the New York Hot Dog, because in that case battle ensues. It’s hard to say where things exactly start, but much of Hawaii’s early Hot Dog days were from various businesses that were built by New Yorkers serving them, so from there the dirty-water dogs started coming and both Chicago and New York dogs were doing business in the Territory of Hawaii. Hawaii never cared for a decent dog and that was until they had them becoming a treat to enjoy, a simple thing to eat on the go, and overtime its New York Tradition would start folding under the influence and pleasures of paradise. The mediocre indulging of hot dogs would be made something a bit more upscale and what people use to say “A Swanky Frank” would make an alternative to the other heavy weight the must have of beach foods the musubi as a prime choice to make when heading out to the beach.

“Hot Dogs are not famous for being the most Hawaii of food. But for an amazing Hot Dog to be a piece of art it makes non believers think its really good. If it converts them, even better. There is room in Hawaii for someone to take the title of Hawaii’s next Best Hot Dog.” -Hardcore Hot Dog Aficionado, Office Worker, Kakaako