The Odd 'American-Style' Hot Dog Stuffed Crust You Never Knew Existed

American foods are clearly cooked in a melting pot. After all, don't we enjoy Italian food when we eat some pizza? When we dig into a box of pierogies, we enjoy what the BBC described as a "symbol of Polish pride." Chinese cuisine has influenced American tastes through dishes such as General Tso's, Peking Duck, and potstickers — to name but a few. But have you ever wondered how other countries look at American food? What would someone in, say, Germany think American pizza is like?

The answer may seem a bit surprising, at least at first. A Reddit user u/cyberm95 posted an image of a frozen pizza found in the "American section" of their local supermarket. This particular cheesy pie, made by a company German company called McEnnedy American Way, is a "hot dog stuffed crust pizza." And it appears to have an entire hot dog stuffed into the crust. Conflicting emotions ensued. Some Redditors, like Kyser_ insisted, "This is absolutely not the 'American Way'" while Superfissile replied, "They out Americand (sic) us."

According to The Takeout, McEnnedy has other "American-style' products, including "pizza donuts," "cookie brownies," and "smiley-faced potatoes." These are sold as part of "America Week" at German grocery stores, where German citizens can enjoy a "taste" of what U.S. cuisine is supposedly like. While some might find the items unusual, they're not entirely foreign concepts. In fact, you may have seen hot dogs on pizza before here in the United States.

Although your local pizza place probably doesn't offer a hot dog-filled crust, the United States was home to that combo — at least for a short while. In 2015, Pizza Hut's Dog Bites Pizza made its presence felt in the United States (via Pizza Hut's official Hut Life blog). Originally introduced over in Japan, Thailand, and South Korea, the pizza is comprised of a regular pan pizza with a crust made up of mini hot dogs wrapped in either crust dough or in soft pretzel dough. 

Pizza Hut's concept sounds pretty similar to McEnnedy's pizza, although the Hot Dog Bites Pizza didn't last too long in the United States. But that doesn't mean hot dogs and pizzas completely went their separate ways. In Detroit, Michigan, according to Atlas Obscura, you can find the "Coney Dog Pizza" which combines hot dog slices, onions, and a neon yellow garnish of mustard atop a Detroit-style pizza.

Certain other "American" foods McEnnedy American Way sells exist in some way or another as well. The Takeout points out that McEnnedy makes "Emoti Potatoes" that bear faces while McCain Potatoes sells "Smiles," deep-fried mashed potatoes shaped into a classic smiley face. "Pizza donuts" are similar to pizza bagels, with some recipes being available online to make a genuine pizza doughnut. "Cookie brownies" also exist, with the most notable example being sold by Domino's Pizza. It seems McEnnedy isn't too far off on what some American people enjoy.