The Surprising Food Subway Is Selling In South Korea

Have you ever eaten in a Subway? If so, you're probably familiar with its wide-ranging menu of subway sandwiches, from classic oven roasted turkey to wildcards like sweet onion chicken teriyaki (via the official Subway website). This global behemoth is certainly a convenient option — considering that, with more than 41,000 locations worldwide (via Statista), you can find one no matter where in the world you are — but it doesn't always enjoy the best reputation, having suffered various scandals such as baking its bread with a bleaching agent also found in yoga mats (via CNBC) and continued allegations that the tuna in its popular fish salad isn't actually tuna, but some other unidentifiable species (via the New York Times).

But for those moments when you're in the mood for a loaded sandwich and short on time, Subway certainly fulfills a role. And given that sub sandwiches are an exotic item overseas, it's no surprise that Subway has become immensely popular abroad, counting locations in Mexico, Russia, India, and Brazil (via Subway). South Korea is also a Subway hub, with a whopping 467 locations offering Korean takes on subs including bulgogi, or thinly sliced marinated beef (via Korea By Me). And recently, South Korean Subways began serving up a brand new item that's somewhat surprising — read on to find out what it is.

Subway sandwiches are surprisingly common in South Korea, where they're routinely woven into the plotlines of Korean soap operas, and — of course — also enjoyed by real people. The country is one of Subway's larger hubs, counting 467 locations that sell both American-style sandwiches such as tuna salad as well as local takes featuring Korean BBQ (via Korea By Me). Recently, South Korean Subway locations added an intriguing option to its menu: the Sub Dog, aka a cross between a hot dog and a sub sandwich.

According to The Takeout, the sub dogs were launched earlier this month and come in three varieties, all featuring Johnsonville brand dogs. The Sub Dog layers in classic topping such as ketchup, onion, pickles, mustard, bell peppers, shredded cheese, and jalapeño. The Avocado Sub Dog, meanwhile, adds slices of creamy avocado. Finally, there is the Double Cheese Sub Dog, which packs in extra dairy. 

They're available for a limited time only, so you might want to hop on an eastbound plane if your curiosity is piqued.