Hot dog stands and carts are a common sight in North America. Like canines, the hot dog comes in many varieties, from the basic New York hot dog, eaten with mustard and sometimes sauerkraut, to the more complex Chicago hot dog, comprising a beef wiener in a poppy-seed bun topped with yellow mustard, bright green relish, onions, tomato wedges, pickle spear, sport peppers and a dash of celery salt.

At CUHK, a long line for hot dogs is a standard scenario at the Shaw College Canteen. Hot Dog King served at the canteen is a local variation created by its chef—a cervelat sandwiched by a grilled bun and topped with melted cheese, mustard and ketchup. The hot dog comes with French fries which is spiced up by the chef's secret seasoning.

The cervelat is a sausage popular in Switzerland. Early recipes for it contained not only beef or pork, but also beef or pork brains. In fact, the name 'cervelat' is derived from cerebrum, the Latin word for brain. Most modern recipes do not include brains and the one used in Hot Dog King is all pork.

Mr. Alan K.H. Leung, senior supervisor of the canteen, said that only 120 hot dogs are served each day after the lunch hours. So, if you want to smear your mouth with mustard, don't show up too late because a line for the hot dog begins to form at the cashier counters as early as 2:15 pm.