National Hot Dog Day is here on July 23, which naturally got us thinking of all the wondrous ways weiners are consumed around the world. The Seattle Dog is smothered in cream cheese, the Mexican Sonora dog is wrapped in bacon, and the Japanese octodog looks like an octopus, obviously.
Wait, what?
It's not uncommon in Japan to find a hot dog shaped like an octopus in your bento box. But if you want to make one yourself without leaving the country, it's ridiculously simple -- perhaps, even, a little questionable (it involves microwaving a sliced hot dog until its "tentacles" shrivel and curl under the heat). Every once in a while, there comes a time in your life when you've just got to throw shame to the wind and eat a microwaved cephalopod.
Watch the video above and follow the simple steps to making an octodog. All it takes is a paring knife, a microwave, and a little magic to make this gloriously creepy creation.
(Sad news for vegetarians -- it doesn't work with meat-free alternatives.)
Video shot and edited by Eva Hill.
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