In the history of the world, many controversies have arisen over war, justice, religion, and biology. However, very few questions have been as polarizing as the question of whether the hot dog should be classified as a sandwich. Should the hot dog be considered a sandwich, or are the people who think they are out of their minds? I tend to think the former moreover than the latter.

According to Aristotle, animals can be divided up into two groupings: those with blood and those without blood (to clarify… red blood). In the same way, I would argue that sandwiches too can be classified into two groupings: those with two slices of bread and those with one. I know right… how scandalous of me. Actually, sandwiches can even consist of three slices of bread if you have a double stack burger from a notorious franchise such as Burger King. If you go to a sandwich shop like D’Angelos or Subway, what do you see on their menu? Usually subs because subs are technically a sandwich. According to Oxford, a sub, also known as a submarine sandwich, is “a sandwich made up of a long roll typically filled with meat, cheese, and vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, and onions.” Therefore, subs for short are sandwiches.

Now, you may be saying that a sandwich must consist of two slices of bread, and technically, you are half right. Most sandwiches typically use two slices of bread such as a panini, the C Shop grilled cheese, or a ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread. However, there are the exceptions, and subs are certainly one. But saying a sub is a sandwich opens up a whole new avenue. If a sub is, then isn’t my wrap a sandwich. What about sushi since it is covered on the outside by that weird filmy thing (also known as seaweed or rice)? Or what about my buffalo chicken calzone at C Shop? Or even cake? Well, none of those (except for maybe the wrap since it is surrounded by a type of bread) are a sandwich. Clearly, sushi cannot be a sandwich since it is not surrounded by bread. Your buffalo chicken calzone, on the other hand, is not a sandwich; it is actually a pie. Hear me out on this one. Since the calzone is surrounded by dough, not bread, it is a pie since the inner ingredients of a pie are surrounded by dough (or in the case of chocolate crème pie, nothing at all). That’s another opinion for another day. However, cake too cannot be a sandwich because a cake is not bread; a cake is just a cake. It’s not layered bread; it’s just cake. Once again, cake is cake, so don’t mix it up with bread.

The same applies to ice cream sandwiches and Oreos (trademark). Ice cream sandwiches are not made up of bread, but they are made in ‘the image of the sandwich,’ or ‘imago sandvicis.’ They can be classified as what I would call ‘pseudo-sandwiches.’ Pseudo-sandwiches can include: tacos, burritos, or stuffed turkeys. Stuffed turkeys are a pseudo sandwich in that they are a complete paradox; an opposite sandwich of sorts. Instead of bread surrounding the meat, the meat surrounds the bread. However, back to hot dogs, because that’s really what we’re here for.

So, while the world may be divided on whether the frankfurter sandwich, also known as the hot dog, is a sandwich, I am prone to saying that the hot dog is in fact a sandwich. There is no logical reason to discriminate the frankfurter from other sandwiches. Although my argument may not convince all, one thing is for certain: the hot dog will continue to be a staple of American food, especially at baseball games, amusement parks, and barbeques around the country.