Posted by ayersian
, May 14, 2009 12:34
The Ocean State has several one-of-a-kind Roadfood attractions: jonnycakes, stuffed quahog clams (or “stuffies”), Del’s Frozen Lemonade, coffee milk, and New York System hot weiners. New York System refers to a myriad of mysteries—primarily, the style of hot dog and its preparation—though there are a few constants: the traditional brand of choice is Little Rhody natural casing wieners that are hand-cut to size from a twenty-foot continuous rope, according to the wonderful Quahog.org website. Little Rhody uses a mixture of beef, pork, and veal with minimal seasonings. The real spiciness comes in the toppings: a fine-grained, Greek-style chili sauce, chopped onions, mustard, and celery salt in a steamed bun. Their overall size is about five to six inches in length, like a compromise between store-bought hot dogs and the mini dogs popular in the Troy/Albany, New York area. Hot weiners are affectionately called “gaggers” (because they’re so delicious that people may overeat and/or gag) or “gaggahs” in Rhode Island-ese, as explained by Ray Testa on his NYS Hot Weiners and Other RI Favorites website. The “weiner” in hot weiner also varies in spelling (also “wiener”) from store to store, and skilled countermen often stack them up one arm while dressing the dogs. Though there are over 100 hot weiner stands in the state, this seven-part series highlights the scrumptious fare in and around Providence. Check back for Chapter 1!
