Few traditions are more celebrated in Michigan than the Coney Dog.

Purists can recite its components by heart -- start with the natural casing hot dog, topped with an all-meat chili (no beans), fresh chopped onion, and a long squiggle of mustard.

Chili connoisseurs (including this journalist, who was corrected by one of her commenters ... thanks,

!) may be surprised to find that Jackson, not Detroit, is the birthplace of the humble Coney. It was invented by George Todoroff in 1914.

Coney-lovers can sink their teeth into the first book exploring the history, personalities and passion behind Detroit's most famous food export.

Coney Detroit

is a new book authored by Joe Grimm (formerly of the

Detroit Free Press

) and Katherine Yung. Over 150 color photographs help tell the story of the Coney's rise, from the suppliers to restaurant owners to variations on the dish (ever had a Coney pizza?).

"Every politician campaigning in Detroit must get photographed with a coney in hand," writes Grimm. "Athletes and music stars going for after-game or concert coneys run into fans doing the same thing. When national media declare a coney showdown, we flock to the restaurants to cheer on our favorites like we cheer on our sports teams."

While Grimm and Yung focused on the Motor City, the book also examines the chili dog's reach outside the confines of the Mitten State.

Coney Detroit

will be released in April 2012 through Wayne State University Press.

to pre-order the book, which is priced at $24.95. And find out more about the making of

Coney Detroit

.