Who makes the best vegetarian hot dog? (kosher too)?!
Who makes the best vegetarian hot dog? (kosher too)?
I just opened a hot dog restaurant ( cityhotdogs.com ) and am looking for the BEST veggie hot dog so I can see about ordering them wholesale. Need to be kosher too.. Thanks!
Answers:
You have a challenge, trying to offer this, and you are to be commended. Most vegetarian hotdogs are unbearably yucky, gagsome--but there are a few that taste good enough. I have been vegetarian, with growing kids to test on, for nearly 20 years. My husband has been vegetarian for almost 25 years.
So far Morningstar is our favorite, however it's frozen, and it is not the best bet for your use. It is becoming harder to get, rumors that it is to be discontinued. One problem with Morningstar (and some of the other 'fresh' not canned brands) is that they don't grill, they need to be prepared with steam or water or they get leathery. If you want them to acquire a grilled skin, you need to use butter or oil.
The canned ones are a little easier to use but also will eventually have this problem, especially if they need to be ready, sitting in a warmer.
You might be better off with Boca Kielbasa/polish sausage copies. Boca is a reliable brand, seems readily available for food service, (you see Boca burgers from time to time in restaurants) bigger size than veggie dogs, therefore not as much problem with the drying out. Oh: they taste good.
They make both kielbasa and polish sausage, they're not equivalent to either of the sausages they're named after, not by a long shot. No need to call them veggie kielbasa or sausage.
One tastes like an oversize breakfast link (brownish color), the other tastes like an oversize hotdog (pinkish). They come in packs of 4, frozen, for 2.50 - 5.00 per box, depending if you buy only a box or two at a time or a case.
However, it is possible they also supply food service packs, bagged up in bulk in cardboard cartons. I know gardenburger, Morningstar, and some other frozen manufacturers have food service packs. A local health food grocer might be willing to help you out with that.
Hmm, I dont really know too much of the hot dogs, most of them are pretty blah , however I know of some hot dog vendors which sell the Tofurky Sausages. They also sell the veggie dogs as well. I would consider that as an option at your restaurant. I love them.
I see that Smartdogs and Tofupups are listed as Kosher. I'm not clear what wouldn't be Kosher about veggie dogs though (maybe milk products?).
http://www.lightlife.com/smartdogs.html...
Some other possibilities, but I don't know about Kosher.
Morningstar Farms:
http://www.seeveggiesdifferently.com/pro...
Yves:
http://www.yvesveggie.com/home.htm...
Vegefarm, which is my favorite, though I haven't eaten the others in awhile (website is kind of messed up for some reason):
http://www.vegeking.com/shop100/showgood...
Nice thing is you can sell these as a no/low cholesterol/fat dog.
I'm fond of Morningstar Farms.
Applegate Farms makes a good one.