Hi Rabbi,

I know this may sound strange, but the internet has been locked in a fiery debate for years over one of the most pressing culinary questions of our time: Is a hot dog a sandwich?

The sandwich camp points to its basic structure—meat nestled between bread—which meets the broad definition of a sandwich. They cite food regulatory classifications, the historical precedent of the Earl of Sandwich (who popularized the idea of placing meat between bread for convenient eating), and how the term “sandwich” can reasonably include hot dogs, subs and similar items.

Opponents argue that hot dogs are fundamentally different. The bun is usually a single unsevered piece rather than two separate slices, and culturally, hot dogs are seen as their own category of food—with a distinct name and a unique way of being held and eaten (vertically, with the bun opening facing up).

So my question is: Does Jewish law weigh in on this all-consuming conundrum?

Reply:

I must admit, at first I wasn’t quite sure where this was going. But as much as I’m hesitant to wade into such a heated debate, the question offers an opportunity to explore a similar discussion in halachah.

When the Sages established blessings over food, they recognized that not all foods are equal. Different blessings were instituted for different types of food.

The blessing Mezonot was designated for filling foods made from one of the five grains—wheat, barley, rye, spelt and oats—which are more substantial than fruits, vegetables, meat or sweets. But bread, being the staple of a meal, is even more significant and has its own blessing: Hamotzi.

One of the more nuanced areas of the laws of proper blessings concerns when to say Hamotzi versus Mezonot, especially since both apply to foods made from the same five grains.

The blessing Hamotzi is reserved for what halachah considers actual bread—that is, something typically eaten as the main part of a meal. Other baked grain products, like pastries or crackers, usually1 receive the Mezonot blessing—unless you eat a large enough amount to be considered a meal. In that case, they’re treated like bread.

Which brings us back to the hot dog.

The core of the hot dog/sandwich debate revolves around structure. A major argument against classifying a hot dog as a sandwich is that its bun is typically one connected piece, unlike the two slices of bread found in a classic sandwich.

However, in halachah, we don’t focus so much on structure. What matters more is how the food is made and how it’s typically eaten.

The Non-Bread

Here’s where the concept of pat haba bekisnin comes in—a category of baked grain products that resemble bread but are not treated as such for the purpose of blessings.

While there’s some debate about its exact definition, the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) rules that, practically, pat haba bekisnin includes three categories of baked goods:2

  1. Sweetened Dough – Dough made with significant amounts of juice, oil, sugar, honey, eggs or fat, giving it a rich or sweet taste and making it unlike standard bread.
  2. Filled Dough – Regular dough filled with sweet items like chocolate, jam, nuts or fruit. These are eaten for enjoyment rather than nourishment and are not considered true bread.
  3. Dry/Hard Dough – Crackers or dry biscuits that are typically eaten as snacks, not as the basis of a meal.

Now, back to the hot dog: Since the hot dog is placed into a regular baked bun, it’s clear that, regardless of whether you call it a sandwich, halachically it’s considered bread—and you would recite Hamotzi and Birchat Hamazon.

By contrast, think of mini hot dogs wrapped in a thin layer of pastry dough (called “franks in blanks” or “pretzel dogs”). Even if the dough contains the same ingredients as bread, these are made to be eaten as snacks and fall under the category of pat haba bekisnin. Therefore, the proper blessing for those is Mezonot—unless you eat enough of them to constitute a meal.

For more on the blessings of food, see Food Blessings.