You look like the Fourth of July! Makes me want a hot dog real bad! ~
Americans of the U.S. variety have celebrated Independence Day with hot dogs since for over 50 years *, and we have two parties to thank for that. The first is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which designated July as Hot Dog Month in 1956. That was a start, but sales expanded in 1972 when Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs jumped on the food cart with a July 4 hot dog eating contest. Grills have been getting lit with links ever since. *Legend would tell you that those contests started in 1916, but no confirmed records exist for any years prior to 1972–and that’s on Nathan’s site. It’s probably credible.
Where did hot dogs originate? What’s in them? We probably know the answers to both of those questions, though I’m not getting into the nitty gritty on the latter. Either way, many of us still eat them. Let’s explore a bit, and perhaps we’ll appreciate the concept better, if not the contents.
Precursors
History.com offers a suggestion, but subject to a disclaimer; no one really knows where hot dogs came from. The story is that Nero’s cook, Gaius, made a mistake when he brought in a roasted pig which had not been “cleaned out” before roasting. When Gaius plunged the knife into it, the intestines popped out. Don’t worry. They were empty, since the protocol was to starve pigs for a week before slaughter. Gaius, thinking on his feet, comes up with the bright idea of stuffing the casings with meats and spices. True? Who knows?
Anyway, from there the concept traveled to what is now Germany–over 500 years ago. Frankfurt claims pride of ownership, but Vienna (Wien) does as well. Again, just theories on that score, but we do know that the Germans get credit for bringing wieners to America in 1862 and selling them from food carts.
- Americans consume about 7 billion hot dogs during the summer months. Yes, a billion.
- If meat or poultry isn’t a component of the product, it can’t be called a hot dog. I don’t care what you call your pseudo hot dog, but the Hot Dog Council cares deeply.
- Vendors have been selling hot dogs at baseball games since 1893. Somehow, I can’t imagine people in suits and dresses eating hot dogs.
- The city whose residents eat the most hot dogs is Los Angeles. What’s up with that, Chicago?
- Remember Dirty Harry in “Sudden Impact”? He was firm in his opinion that, “Nobody, I mean nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog.” Well, somebody does, but it isn’t me.
And credit for popularity goes to ...
Nathan Handwerker. He was a Jewish immigrant from Poland who is widely credited with expanding America’s appetite for hot dogs. History.com tells us that when Nathan arrived in 1915, he went to work for a hot dog vendor on Coney Island. His salary was $11 a week, which converts to about $18,000 in 2025. That’s not much.
Nathan slept on his employer’s kitchen floor and lived on hot dogs for a year so that he could save enough to start his own business. When he had the requisite $300, he set up shop and undercut his prior boss by 50%. His customer base grew, and he became “famous”. Seriously, by 1939, his hot dogs were so well known that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt included them on the menu when she treated King George VI and his queen to a picnic at Hyde Park.
Let's top it off with a little controversy
Well, perhaps this won’t be controversial, but certainly people have firm opinions on what makes the perfect dog. Pan-fried or grilled over flames? Boiled or micro-waved? I’ll answer that one for you. Grilled outside, whether on a Weber or on a stick over a campfire, is the only way to get that slight and highly desirable char.
What about condiments, then? Yes, there lies the rub. Mustard or ketchup? Both? Relish or onions? Neither? This is one question I’ve asked that is never met with indecision. My personal opinion is that ketchup on a hot dog is disgusting, but according to the aforementioned National Hot Dog & Sausage Council (yes, that’s a thing), 47% of Americans who eat hot dogs reach for the ketchup, whether or not they also add mustard.
I’m a skeptic, so I did my own informal survey with some of my high school classmates. The results surprised me. 25% of the respondents don’t eat hot dogs. No, that wasn’t a surprise. Oh, and an overwhelming majority add either slaw or relish. No, not surprised at that either. However, I was floored to discover that some people I consider highly intelligent actually put ketchup on their hot dogs.
Now I’m wondering about their opinions on Oxford commas. Sigh.
I like hot dogs but not cheap hot dogs. Nathan’s is my go to and I buy the fat ones. I smother them with whatever is offered. I prefer them with grill marks and bun toasted but I am flexible. Hot dogs without beer is sacrilege. Fries are a tool to transfer ketchup. Ketchup is over 30% sugar which is why people like it. Food eating contest of any kind are disgusting! Having a one-year-old, granddaughter, BD party for her first BD day on the 4th…..Chris is the food planner and making chicken fajitas given we are in Texas but I am likely to slip in a hot dog!
I avoid processed foods but cheat if a charred hot dog is offered. I prefer slaw and mustard and enjoy remembering putting a good weiner on a stick and burning it til black. Good ole days with good ole Coca cola! Good research Gayle
Agree, no ketchup! Also, no watching eating contests.
They are certainly disgusting. 🤢
Well, it’s YOUR grill, right? 😐