TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Labor Day is finally here and the grills in America are getting fired up all across the country. That means it’s time for hot dogs.
According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC), Labor Day is the unofficial end of the hot dog season so today is the day to celebrate the frankfurter.
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What is the “hot dog season?” That would be the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day where hot dog producers estimate that about 38% of the total number of hot dogs are sold. Between that time, Americans will eat about seven billion hot dogs.
In 2021, Americans spent more than $7.5 billion on hot dogs and sausages in U.S. supermarkets, with the top hot dog consuming cities being Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas and Chicago.
What are the favorite toppings? 61% like mustard, ketchup and onions. 41% give a thumbs up to relish, 30% like chili and 29% want cheese on their dog. There are a few outliers in different parts of the country with 26% of people in the west who like mayo, 31% of the folks in the northeast like sauerkraut and 18% of hot dog eaters in the south who like a coleslaw topping.
What’s the best way to wash down your dog? 76% say soda pop, 54% prefer a beer, 57% choose lemonade and 48% like a dog with iced tea.
Cooking the dog on the grill is the hands down winner for hot dog prep with 75% of hot dog connoisseurs who prefer throwing them on the grill. Other avenues of heating up a dog include boiling them, steaming them, using the frying pan, microwaving them and roasting them over a campfire.
Every state has their favorite kind of dog and Michigan has their own special coney dog which includes meaty chili sauce on top of a hot dog with mustard and onions. It comes in third place as the favorite hot dog behind the ones sold in New York and Chicago.
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There are no limits to what garnishes, condiments and embellishments can be added to a dog and a hot dog in Berkeley Michigan has won top honors as one of the 13 best hot dogs in America according to the Tasting Table website. Vinsetta Garage in Detroit is famous for their 3 A.M. dog which is a unique combination of house-made bacon jam, Sriracha mayo, fresh chives, spicy fried onions, and a sunny fried cage-free egg.
A few fun facts about hot dogs from the NHDSC They were one of the first foods eaten on the trip to the moon.
A hot dog is a sausage but a sausage isn’t necessarily a hot dog.
Hot dogs were first sold at baseball games in 1893. President Franklin D. Roosevelt served hot dogs to King George and Queen Elizabeth.
The king ate two.
Most hot dogs eaten at a Nathan’s hot dog eating contest: 76 by Joey Chestnut on July
4, 2021.
And no, the hot dog is NOT a sandwich.
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