Hot Rod (meat snack)
A Hot Rod is a Canadian dry sausage snack food made by Schneider Foods. They are sold in many convenience stores, and concession stands throughout the country. Hot rods have a salty, slightly spicy, beef flavour, and are similar to the American "Slim Jim" brand snack. They are available in Original, Barbecue and Hickory Smoke flavours, in 8 and 19g sizes, and in packs of 20 and 40.
History
Hot Rods were created in 1969 and took a total of 191 hours to develop. They were originally developed as a “different” everyday snack that could also be enjoyed at parties, and were originally sold for 10 cents each. Throughout its history, Schneider’s has experimented with several flavours. In 1970, they created cheese-flavoured Hot Rods, but found their original flavour to be more popular. The snack gained popularity into the 1980s, culminating with the introduction of three new flavours in 1986 – Taco, Pepperoni and Mild. In 2004, Hot Rod Bites were introduced in Chicken, Barbecue and Teriyaki flavours.
Today
Hot Rods continue to be a mainstay in convenience stores across Canada, as they are a more protein-rich snacking option than potato chips. They are now considered to be a snack that brings up nostalgia among adults, with the look and feel of their packaging remaining relatively consistent since the product’s conception in 1969.