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Hot dog, frankfurter and wiener
In North American use, these terms often refer to a seasoned, finely comminuted sausage cooked or smoked during manufacturing. It may be sold with or without a casing and is commonly reheated rather than cooked from raw.
Fresh sausage
Fresh bratwurst, Italian sausage and some chorizo are raw products that require complete cooking. Never use the reheating assumptions for a fully cooked hot dog on a package labeled raw or “cook before eating.”
Cured, smoked and cooked sausage
Kielbasa, bockwurst, knockwurst and other sausages may be sold fully cooked, partially cooked or fresh. The name alone does not settle the question; read the handling statement.
Why the distinction matters
- Cooking time and food-safety requirements can differ.
- A coarse sausage may need a sturdier roll.
- A strongly seasoned sausage needs fewer aggressive toppings.
- Casing texture changes the bite.
- Fat release can make wet toppings harder to manage.