Washington DC, USA

United States

Washington DC has one sausage that belongs to no other city. The half-smoke is a coarsely ground pork-and-beef link, smoked and then grilled or steamed, served in a bun under a ladleful of chili, diced raw onion, and yellow mustard. It has been the signature street food of Black Washington since the mid-twentieth century. Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street opened in 1958 and became the sausage's permanent address. The neighborhood around Ben's, the U Street corridor, was the heart of Black cultural life in DC from the 1920s through the 1968 riots. Duke Ellington grew up a few blocks away. The half-smoke survived the riots, survived Metro construction, survived gentrification, and is still sold from the same counter where Bill Cosby and Barack Obama have both ordered one. The sausage itself is meatier and spicier than a standard hot dog, with a coarser grind and a heavier smoke. Most vendors in DC use links from local producers, though the exact recipes vary. The chili is the constant: a thick, beanless meat sauce ladled on top until the bun can barely hold it.