The Unexpected Topping You Need For Truly Unique Hot Dogs

Most people spend their lives playing it safe with hot dogs, never venturing outside the ketchup-mayo-mustard combo. But while this classic sauce trinity never disappoints, sometimes you have to reach up for the stars and dare to do something unexpected. If you’ve reached this point in your relationship with hot dogs, you can draw inspiration from the many regional variations across the United States — or you could take notes from Colombia’s cookbook.

While this South American country is best known for traditional foods like arepas, it also takes its hot dog game very seriously. Colombians don’t slack when it comes to this fast food, adding ingredients that few other nationalities would even dare to try. The best one? Pineapples. Yes, really. No self-respecting Colombian hot dog would call itself so if it’s not topped with pineapple sauce or actual pineapple chunks. The fruit’s refreshing sweet-and-tangy flavor brings a perfect complement to the greasy sausage and crispy toasted bread. It also adds a unique kick to the sauce mix that’ll bring you right out of the monotony of simple hot dogs.

Pineapple is only the beginning of interesting hot dog toppings in Colombia. Other common ingredients that you’ll find between buns include quail eggs, chopped onion, crushed chips, shredded cheese, pink sauce (a mix of ketchup and mayo), and bacon. For the latter, some people prefer bacon bits or strips, while others go for deep-fried pork belly (chicharrón). If none of these ingredients sound like your cup of tea, then you can forgo them and simply embrace the spirit of the Colombian hot dog, which champions being bold and daring in a world full of boring ingredients.

We can’t blame you if you’re craving a hot dog at this point, but instead of heading to the closest fast food chain that serves them, you may want to see if there are any Colombian enclaves in your area. Rather than finding hot dogs at restaurants, street food joints will likely serve them along with arepas and empanadas. And if you can’t find anything near you, making them yourself is quick and easy (though you might need to head over to Amazon for the quail eggs). Better yet, use this as an excuse to book a flight to Colombia.