Koenemann's Foot Long Frankfurters really are 12 inches long. They are also very tasty weiners. I did a side-by-side taste test with my usual brand, Boar's Head Natural Casing Frankfurters. Both Koenemann's and Boar's Head Natural Casing frankfurters are packed in sheep intestine casings, so they pop when you bite them -- the measure of a true frankfurter. I liked the Koenemann's frankfurter for its texture and seasoning. The Boar's Head was a little bland by comparison.

Koenemann's is a German meat company in rural Illinois that you may remember from a previous post. Their outstanding German-style sausages and meat products are available at Phoenicia, the ethnic food supermarket on Westheimer at West Houston Center.

I sure would like to make some chili dogs with these frankfurters. But the problem with a true foot-long frankfurter is that no one makes a foot-long bun around here. (Please tell me if you know of a foot long bun bakery.) I guess I may have to mail-order some foot-long buns from Chicago.

Meanwhile, I just pick my foot-longs up and dip the end in mustard before each bite. That's the way I used to eat them in Denmark at the pølsevogne, as hot dog carts are known there. The street vendor gave you a long, bright-red pølse (frankfurter sausage), a squirt of sennep (mustard) on wax paper, and a piece of brøt (bread) on the side if you wanted one.

The deconstructed Danish hot dogs are pretty good once you get used to them.