A History of the Most Popular Ballpark Foods
Eating ballpark food is part of the baseball experience. With a snow cone in one hand and a hot dog in the other, fans could never be happier. Ballpark food has come a long way. As you are standing in line at the concessions stand you’ll see everything from nachos, pizza, and hot dogs, to peanuts, Cracker Jacks, and cotton candy. Take a look at the most popular ballpark foods and what has happened to them in history.
“Hot Dogs Get Them While They’re Hot!”
Image via Flickr by Daryn Nakhuda
According to History.com, Americans eat more than 20 billion hot dogs per year. There’s just something about the allure of ballpark hot dogs that make them so tasty. You can put whatever you want on them — ketchup, mustard, relish, sauerkraut, onions, cheese, etc. Some ballparks even have their own versions, such as the Dodger Dog and Fenway Frank.
But how did the hot dog get its name? In 1901, there was apparently a cartoon in the New York Journal by Tad Dorgan that wrote “Hot dog! to describe the dachshund sausages sold at the ballpark. The nickname took off because it was a lot easier to say than “dachshund sausage.” The actual comic has never surfaced, so this is a tale historians refute. Some people credit the hot dog to a German butcher who sold them from a cart and others attribute it to a St. Louis peddler.
“Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks”
Image via Flickr by Anna Gustafson
The song, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” originated in 1908 and Cracker Jacks have been popular ever since. They used to be called, “candied popcorn and peanuts.”
Peanuts used to be known as a poor man’s food, but after the Civil War both sides started valuing peanuts for their convenience as a tasty snack. George Washington Carver, a former slave, decided to research peanuts as an alternative crop to cotton. After that, peanuts really took off at ballparks because of how readily available they were. In recent years, peanut allergies have become a societal problem. As a matter of fact, some ballparks now have “peanut-free” games to accommodate people who may have a reaction to when peanut dust is in the air.
Fluffy, Melt in Your Mouth Cotton Candy
Image via Flickr by C.C. Chapman
Cotton candy was invented in 1899 in St. Louis by four men who discovered a way to spin sugar with centrifugal force through tiny holes. Cotton candy has been a hit ever since. Cotton candy did so well in carnivals that ballparks started to sell it, too.
Refreshing Drinks to Beat the Heat
Image via Flickr by Michael Bentley
You can’t have ballpark food without getting a drink, too. You’ll find a wide assortment of choices at ballparks including, fountain drinks, snow cones, lemonade, and of course beer. Beer has always been a major drink served at ballparks (except during prohibition). If you buy Houston Astros tickets, you can enjoy any refreshment you want at the game.
Ball parks still have all the nostalgic favorites, but more restaurants are popping up inside the parks. This gives you the opportunity to grab a bite to eat in a sit-down environment before the game instead of having to juggle all the ballpark food in your hands as you make your way to your seat.
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