Having lived in Vietnam for 10 years and experienced many local dishes, Vietnamese-style hot dog remains a "shock" that Mr. Ray Kuschert, an Australian, fondly remembers and cannot forget.
Life in Vietnam often brings me enjoyable moments, but sometimes it also leaves me perplexed, such as the time I had a hot dog that was... so peculiar.
About a decade ago, just a few weeks after arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, my stomach was still not accustomed to the local cuisine, causing me some discomfort.
Then, a fellow countryman introduced me to a teaching opportunity. On my first day of work, I was assigned to a public school in District 3.
As I arrived at the school, my stomach started to ache, and I glanced around to find a familiar sign. It wasn't for pho, com tam, or banh mi; it was for HOT DOG. Yes, that's right, a hot dog.
I smiled with delight, finally finding a familiar Western food item.
I made my way from the parking lot to the school gate, heading towards the hot dog stand. Without a single word of Vietnamese, I raised a finger and said, "One hot dog, please."
The vendor looked at me puzzled, mumbling something in Vietnamese, while I continued to repeat, "One hot dog, one hot dog," and pointed to the sign on her food cart.
Eventually, she stopped trying to decipher what I was saying, prepared the food, put it in a bag, and handed it to me.
I paid her, not much at all, and entered the school to find a place to sit and eat, secretly excited to savor a hot, delicious hot dog with a German sausage nestled in soft, fragrant bread, accompanied by familiar ketchup.
The moment I opened the bag, I was speechless.
The hot dog I was holding wasn't the hot dog I had imagined. Instead, it was a triangular-shaped sandwich.
I bought a hot dog, and they gave me a waffle. A baked waffle with a sweet taste and cheese filling inside.
What should I do now? At that moment, I didn't know what to do, so I just ate the sandwich and went to class.
During the following months, I "learned" that the hot dogs sold on the streets of Vietnam were not actually hot dogs, but more like a type of sandwich or grilled bread.
Different vendors had their own variations, but they all seemed to consist of two parts: the bread and cheese. Some places even had meat fillings and other ingredients.
This cultural difference intrigued me and sparked my curiosity to explore how Vietnamese-style hot dogs were made and enjoyed.
What is Vietnamese-style hot dog?
From the limited information I have found, it seems that Vietnamese-style hot dogs have only gained popularity in the early years of this century.
Some anecdotal stories without evidence that I have read suggest that at some point, Vietnamese homemakers started purchasing various electronic appliances, and one of the popular items was a sandwich toaster.
Meanwhile, children need something filling and affordable to eat in the morning and after school, so mothers started using this machine to make Vietnamese-style hot dogs.
From there, some people began selling this type of bun outside school gates.
Children often prefer fast food over heavier meals like broken rice or Hu Tieu, so a hot dog with the sweet taste of the bun, the savory flavor of cheese, and occasionally including sausage, is a perfect choice for them.
I couldn't find why this dish is called a hot dog, but I dare to guess that rushing to buy a hot dog in Vietnam is similar to buying a quick hot dog on the streets of the US.
Over time, Vietnamese-style hot dogs have become popular in many places. With only 5,000 - 6,000 dong, you can stop and buy one anytime. A hot dog is not big enough to make you feel full, but it provides enough energy for you to get home or attend your next meeting, for example.
I now tend to opt for newer choices when snacking between meals, but I still chuckle to myself when I come across a vendor selling "Vietnamese-style hot dogs." A hot dog that is not really a hot dog.
If you haven't tried this dish yet, be sure to have at least one during your trip to Vietnam, and don't forget to take a photo of the hot dog sign and share it online.
This is a creative and wonderful aspect of Vietnamese culture that makes the country unique and special everywhere.
