Top Your Hot Dog With Kimchi To Unlock A New Level Of Tangy Flavor

When it comes to hot dogs, a lot of folks believe a high-quality frankfurter makes all the difference; however, many other people might argue that the toppings and condiments matter just as much as the hot dog itself. Authentic all-beef Chicago-style hot dogs, for example, are piled high with sweet relish, chopped onions, peppers, mustard, a dill pickle spear, and tomatoes, dusted with celery salt. But you can also have a very tasty hot dog dressed with just a simple squirt of ketchup and mustard, the favorite preparation from many a childhood.

You can rarely go wrong with the traditional, but if you ever want to shake things up from the usual, consider adding kimchi to the top of your next hot dog. Made up of fermented vegetables, typically cabbage, along with a combination of garlic, chili, ginger, fish sauce, and salt, kimchi can add layers of sweet, sour, spicy, and savory flavor to the classic hot dog. At the same time, kimchi also provides a crunch factor similar to a pickle. What results is a satisfying hot dog packed with flavor and textural interest, all achieved by adding just one ingredient.

You might consider kimchi as typically used in Korean dishes such as kimchi jjigae or served as a side dish in a traditional Korean banchan. If so, the idea of putting kimchi on a hot dog might seem odd. The truth, however, is that kimchi is actually a lot like sauerkraut, which is a far more common hot dog topping. Although sauerkraut is German and kimchi is Korean, both are made by fermenting cabbage. The difference between sauerkraut and kimchi is the seasonings used. Sauerkraut only incorporates salt and caraway seeds and therefore has a more one-dimensional flavor compared to spicy kimchi with its chili flakes and fish sauce. Both sauerkraut and kimchi boast a distinctive, slightly sour tanginess.

This tanginess, found in many fermented or pickled foods, is naturally compatible with sausage. The reason is that it counteracts the saltiness of the meat, resulting in a satisfying balance of flavor. Since kimchi contains more than just cabbage, salt, and caraway seeds, it has lots of flavor notes that can elevate the taste of a hot dog a lot more than sauerkraut or pickles might.

The type of kimchi best known in the U.S. is made with Napa cabbage; however, other kinds of kimchi are made with vegetables such as radish, scallion, and cucumber. For topping a hot dog, chef Roy Choi recommends the standard cabbage kimchi, also known as baechu kimchi. The celebrity chef's "Kogi dogs" recipe  also adds sharp cheddar, onion, romaine, cilantro, and sriracha sauce.

If sauerkraut is your usual go-to dressing for a hot dog, you'll probably like Choi's version since it's the most similar. But if you prefer your hot dogs garnished with pickle relish, you may want to use cucumber kimchi instead. Radish kimchi, on the other hand, will add more sweetness and crunch to a hot dog. For a less spicy result, you could also go with baek kimchi, the kind made without chili flakes. Ultimately, of course, the best type of kimchi to put on your hot dog is the one that delights your taste preference. But once you try kimchi on a hot dog, you will experience a surprising taste sensation no matter which kimchi you choose.