What Alaska hot dog commonly includes caribou meat?

The Alaska hot dog that commonly includes caribou meat is the reindeer dog.

Reindeer dogs are a distinctive Alaska street-food specialty. Despite the name, the sausage may contain caribou meat, often blended with more familiar meats such as beef or pork. “Reindeer” is the commercial and culinary name used for the style, while caribou is the North American name for animals in the same Rangifer group.

The dogs are especially associated with Alaska vendors and are commonly found in places such as Anchorage. They are served like other regional hot dogs, in a bun with condiments, but the game-meat blend gives them their local identity. The recipe is not necessarily made from 100 percent caribou.

A common mix-up is treating “reindeer dog” as a corn dog or a particular batter style. That is what distinguishes options such as Pronto Pup: a Pronto Pup is a pancake-battered sausage on a stick. Bagel dogs are wrapped in bagel-style breading, while puka dogs are defined by their unusual Hawaiian bun.