What Makes The Fenway Frank Hot Dog So Unique?

Hot dogs are always a home run. This quintessential stadium snack is quick to get and easy to maneuver through enthusiastic crowds — and makes for a crowd-pleasing dinner, especially when paired with a cool beer and a couple of runs.

Even if you live far from your favorite team, you can always concoct a stadium-ready hot dog from home. Standard grilled hot dogs are great for watching the World Series in front of your television, while a dressed-up chili dog upgrades a seemingly basic meal.

Still, nothing quite compares to the combination of an in-person game and a dog. Whether you're heading to an MLB stadium or your son's little league practice, you'd be remiss to miss baseball's unofficial meal. No stadium does it better than Fenway Park.

Fenway Park is known for its signature Fenway Frank, and you can certainly have a go at boiling your own, per Today. But the truest of baseball fans — and hot dog aficionados — will want to make their way to New England. Boston baseball's pride and joy goes all out with a recipe that's as traditional as it is delicious.

While the composition of hot dogs is often up for debate, Fenway Franks aren't a mystery.

According to Taste Atlas, Fenway Franks are notable for their cooking technique. Standard hot dogs tend to be grilled or steamed, whereas Fenway's are boiled and grilled. This technique yields hot dogs that maintain moisture and juiciness, while also developing a textured skin.

As the oldest baseball stadium, Fenway has had plenty of time to perfect this technique (via the MLB). Fenway has been open since 1912, although the stadium parted ways with its original hot dog manufacturer in 2009, per New England Today Living. The park has since partnered with Kayem Foods to revive the traditional Fenway Frank. The new version is slightly more flavorful — but maintains the integrity and style of the beloved classic.

Like most hot dogs, Fenway's rendition leaves room for interpretation; dress your meal with a squirt of mustard or pack on the relish. While you can't control the outcome of the game, making your ideal hot dog is one element of baseball where you get to take a swing.

So the next time you're at a Red Sox game, use the seventh inning stretch to grab a Fenway Frank for yourself. According to Boston Eater, you can find a classic hot dog throughout the ballpark. Whether you've scored Green Monster seats or are squinting from the nosebleeds, one thing's for certain: Fenway Franks are a stadium rite of passage. Sorry, Nathan's.