National Hot Dog Day: How Do You Do Your Dog?

Today is National Hot Dog Day.

Some things you might not know about hot dogs

• The USDA and the Merriam-Webster dictionary both define them as sandwiches.
• They can be quite pricey -- The now-closed Tokyo Dog in Seattle set a Guinness World Record a decade ago for the most expensive hot dog at $169.
• And a not-so-fun fact, researchers say eating a single hot dog can shorten your lifespan by more than 30 minutes.

Read More Here: Grilled Hot Dogs And Homemade Root Beer For Your Holiday

And did you know there was such a thing as the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council?

Me neither.

But a quick search will get you to this page, where the wiener experts will assure you that "You’ll Relish the Variety of Information on the All-American Food."

They've got some pretty serious advice to make sure you don't run awry of the hot dog police (OK, I made that one up).

First of all, the don'ts

• Don't put hot dog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. Always "dress the dog," not the bun
• Don't use a cloth napkin to wipe your mouth when eating a hot dog. Paper is always preferable.
• Don't take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. For foot-long wiener, seven bites are acceptable.
• Don't leave bits of bun on your plate. Eat it all.
• Don't put fresh herbs on the same plate with hot dogs (never over-do the presentation)
• Don't use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18. Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable.
• Don't send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. It would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs.
• Don't bring wine to a hot dog barbecue. Beer, soda, lemonade and iced tea are preferable.

Now we know what not to do, what are some of the Dos:

• Serve sesame seed, poppy seed and plain buns with hot dogs. Sun-dried tomato buns or basil buns are considered gauche with franks.
• Eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. Utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.
• Use paper plates to serve hot dogs. Every day dishes are acceptable; china is a no-no.
• Lick the condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog, (no washing).
• Use multi-colored toothpicks to serve cocktail wieners. Cocktail forks are in poor taste.

Some other hot dog information from the NHDSC:

• Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.
• Los Angeles residents consume more hot dogs than any other city (about 30 million pounds), beating out New York and Dallas.
• Chicago's O'Hare International Airport consumes SIX times more hot dogs, 725,000 more than Los Angeles International Airport and LaGuardia Airport combined.
• On Independence Day, Americans will enjoy 150 million hot dogs, enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than five times.
• During peak hot dog season, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans typically consume 7 billion hot dogs. That’s 818 hot dogs consumed every second during that period.
• Los Angeles Dodger fans consumed 2.7 million hot dogs in 2019. Across the major leagues, fans enjoyed 18.3 million hot dogs during the 2019 season.
• They really love their dogs in the Carolinas -- The top per capita consumption in the USA for hot dogs is Raleigh/Durham and No. 2 is Greensboro.
• Utahns eat about 180 hot dogs per capita every year!
• In the country of Chile, they serve a dish called completos, which is essentially a hot dog and bun covered in sauerkraut, smashed avocado, diced tomatoes hot sauce and a large drizzle of mayonnaise.

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