Franko Gringo famously stated “I’m free I’m free I’m free” after eating a Mexican Hot Dog. Why was that? What is Hot Dog Satori? (see The Journey of Franko Gringo in BAJA STORIES)
The Mexican Hot Dog, or Hot Dogs in Latin America in general, are part of what I call United States Coca Cola Diplomacy. As soon as a nation begins to emerge guess who show up first to take part in that country’s flowering (spending). Coca Cola has historically been the forerunner emissary of El Norte. Right behind Coca Cola would be the U S Consulate, Ford Dealerships, and The Hot Dog. But unlike Coca Cola or Ford the Hot Dog is not a corporate product. It is a food of the people. It is morphed by the natives of its adopted home in the hotter climes and the world over into a new thing based on an older concept. The Hot Dog, like the concept of democracy, becomes localized wherever it is adopted.
The Hot Dog is really just a sausage in a handy wrapper. The sausage of Germany and the Slavic nations has been around since early times. The infamous Borgia Pope, Callistus, may have written in a Papal Bull the memorable phrase “Deus Cupido Sausages” (God Loves Sausages). And Julius Caesar, when remembering the sausages of the Germanic tribes, possibly reminisced “Vini, Vidi, Vici Sausages.” This oft repeated phrase could be badly translated in the modern vernacular as “I came, I saw, I got a sausage”
The invention of the hot dog bun in the U S in the late 19th century changed the sausage into the Hot Dog. The bun, coupled with the ubiquitous tube steak, creates a condiment delivery system. The character of the adopting nation food culture is in the condiments and the presentation. From Japan to Uruguay and of course Mexico they are all different.
Now the Mexican tube shaped mystery meat Dog itself is another matter:
Here are the ingredients: xxxxxx,xxxxxx,xxx,xxxxxxx,xxxx and XXXXXXXXXXXX.
I x’d out the ingredients because YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW!
Hot Dog carts in Baja, for Gringos, are behind what I call the Tortilla Curtain. These are places that are authentically, near exclusively, Mexican. They do business in the dark of night, there are locals chatting with the Hot Dog vendor. Like the Birria (goat or other meat) stands during the day, the Hot Dog stand has a sense of otherness to the Gringo. It is not a place set up with Tourismo in mind. Food of the people. A place of the people.
This distance is a fact of life when living abroad. We can know our gardener, chat with him when he is working. But we do not really know our gardener. He is behind that curtain. We live in the same locale but in different physical, economic, and cultural spaces.
Or perhaps we are behind that curtain. It is after all a Mexican world. But nevertheless the curtain is there.
In our area of Baja Hot Dog stands are everywhere. If you see a Hot Dog cart during the day it will often look like it has been discarded, perhaps pushed beside a house, empty, and lonely. But after the sun goes down the Hot Dog stands are brought out and set up on sidewalks and street corners of the 2 local towns. They are lively places, with lights and, often, crowds.
I have counted 7 stands at 9 pm in a town of a two thousand people. On a week night. This is a ratio of 1 Hot Dog cart per 286 people. That is much denser than, say, the ratio of Starbucks to the U S population of 1 in 1800. There may be better access to a night time Hot Dog in Baja than a cup of coffee in Phoenix.
Out of an overabundance of caution Sally and I traveled and later lived part time in Baja for 23 years before we tried a Hot Dog from a street cart. One night we went out to dinner with a good friend and after dinner I wanted to take some pictures of Hot Dog stands. We went to one that is always very busy. The Irish Rover Hot Dog stand. A traves (across from) the big vegetable store. I was just there for pictures but what the hell. The owner and patrons seemed so excited that we showed up. We ordered a Dog. Sally took the Dog out into the street and peered at it for a moment then took the 1st bite. She Brave. Then me. Whoah. Delicious! That was amazing. We went back and ordered another. This HotDogista makes these Hot Dogs very quickly. Speedy Dogs. Condiments are grilled onions, jalapenos, grilled white peppers, a bacon wrap, several sauces including avocado sauce and hot sauces, and finished with squiggles of crema, a mayonnaise based sauce. Much like the condiments of the ubiquitous fish taco stands. Local condiments.
The atmosphere at this stand was very friendly. The Mexicans that were hanging out there talked to us. We felt part of the Hot Dog family. It’s a community Hot Dog thing. Plus Gringos at a Hot Dog stand is not an everyday occurrence. We felt especially cared for.
Our friend did not order a Dog. He once toured a hot dog factory in the U S and had mostly sworn them off for life. Plus he wanted to be there for us in case we needed a ride to the Salud (hospital).
I rated this stand 3 jalapenos for fantastico.
We went to another stand that night. A traves the city park. No name just Hot Dog on the cart. A handsome young man was grilling Dogs. His family was gathered around the cart. Cousins, brothers and sisters, kids. As soon as we walked up to the cart they began talking to us. They invited into the circle of light around the cart. We had a Dog with mostly the same condiments as the Irish Rover. We talked with the family hanging out. There was a lot of laughing and thumbs up as we ate our dogs. Again the atmosphere was warm and friendly like all Baja street food carts and taco stands. Everyone smiles, everyone is gracious, and we feel just a little more at home in Baja.
3 jalapenos for that one too.
Franko’s experience was real for us. Finally having a street Hot Dog in Baja can be important step in Bajagenisis of the seasonal expat Gringo. It is an experience of pushing up against the Tortilla Curtain, pulling it aside for just a moment, looking behind it and feeling part of that Mexican world. And once you have one Baja Hot Dog you just gotta go back and get another. And another. And another. And don’t forget the friendliness and smiles, warmth and comradery of the Baja Hot Dog world. 3 jalapenos for the smiles.
