The wait is finally over. Those of us in the US have watched with watering mouths and empty stomachs as Hot Dog Bites Pizza launched first in Asia, including Japan, China, and South Korea, then UK, then Australia, then tantalizingly close, just over the border in Canada. We listened to fans around the globe rave about the stuffed-crust-cheesy-mustard-y combo: “the stuff of dreams” raved one newspaper. “A new level of culinary delight” wrote another magazine. “Delicious but disgusting-if-you-think-about-it,” cried the blogs. The roar on social media was even louder, and just when it seemed like America would miss out on all the fun…it happened.
This week, Pizza Hut announced that Hot Dog Bites pizza will be offered in restaurants nationwide, starting June 18. Interestingly, what is arguably the most American of pizzas didn’t originate here in the US; the mash-up got its start in Asia, where customers in Thailand, Japan, and South Korea first sampled the cheesy, meaty goodness that is hot dog stuffed crust. In a region where crust excitement is king, Hot Dog Stuffed Crust seemed like a logical step for stuffed crust fans in the region. From fried chicken strips, seafood, and mashed potato to cream cheese, jalapenos, or apple-cranberry stuffed crusts, hot dog stuffed crust found its home among intriguing and delicious flavor combinations.From there, HDSC pizza traveled over to ye olde Great Britain, reaching hungry fans in the spring of 2012 with its now inseparable companion, the mustard drizzle.
As one fan put it, “this hot dog stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut UK is probably the most delicious meal you can get in England.” People were shocked that this holiest of mash-ups not only tasted great, but also that it didn’t come from the US (which we’re not sure we should take as a compliment or not). Still, we waited patiently. Our time would surely come.
In possibly one of the cruelest twists of fate, the next market to receive Hot Dog Stuffed Crust was our cousin to the north, Canada. Tempting as it was to cross the border in search of this cheesy goodness—for some of us this was more realistic than others (looking at you, upstate New York)—the release was limited to a few months in the fall of 2012 before disappearing from our plates and our lives.
That was nearly three years ago. And this year, as Pizza Hut celebrated the 30th anniversary of Stuffed Crust pizza, many of us looked back and wondered to ourselves if we would ever see Hot Dog Stuffed Crust emerge again. Gone, but not forgotten, we remained faithful that someday, the delicious pairing of a large 1-topping surrounded by 28 Hot Dog Bites would cross the border to the US.
Today is that day. (Well, technically June 18th is that day.) Hot Dog Bites is coming—with special bonus option to add a pretzel finish to the crust—and with side of tasty French’s® Classic Yellow® Mustard. Americans, rejoice: the stuff of dreams can now be yours to love, cherish, and stomach…at least for a small slice of the summer.