When it comes to a backyard barbeque or a fun day with family, hot dogs and brats are always on the grill. But the question many people never ask is what is a brat, and how is it different from a hot dog?

The history of hot dogs and brats dates back to Ancient Rome and Germany, with the first forms of these sausages being called Vienna sausages or Frankfurter Würstchens. But throughout time, they have changed and been molded into many different forms.

“Each region in Germany has its own unique twist, such as the white sausage in Munich, which must be eaten before noon,” German teacher Gretchen Ospina said.

Whilst sausages and brats differ around the world, it seems to be the case that one man's sausage is another man's brat. In other words, the definitions between sausages, brats, and hot dogs are all very similar to each other.

Although a sausage can be practically considered anything in a casing, that's different for hot dogs and bratwursts.

“A hot dog is something that's already cooked… brats are something that you need to cook thoroughly because they're made of raw meat” High School Case Manager and experienced meat smoker Mark McConnell stated.

Whilst many hot dogs and brats may look alike, they aren't all the same on the inside and sometimes outside. Most hot dogs are made from meat trimmings from discards from butchers or other meat facilities, whereas brats are made with higher-quality meat that is meant for brats.

Brats have got more going on inside of them than hotdogs do, I recently learned on a fact-finding trip to the Lund’s meat counter.

One of the biggest things that separates brats and hot dogs is the interior. Brats have a variety of things like cheese, peppers, or even apples that are put inside to give them flavors that traditional hot dogs wouldn't bring.

Knowing these differences is more important than you may think. Not all sausages, brats, or hot dogs are the same; they are made by different people and are made up of different things beyond just “meat.”

Next time you're at your outdoor BBQ, make sure people know what kind of sausage they are putting into their mouth.