Also known as sausage or sausage sausage, the origin of the hot dog is claimed by the city of Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, and also by a butcher living in Coburg, Germany, who traveled to Frankfurt to promote his new product, in sometime in the late 17th century. Either way, German immigrants brought not just the sausage with them in the 19th century, but their beloved dachshunds as well, and the name likely started as a joke about small, long, skinny dogs.
Yale University food historians say that the word “hot dog” began to appear in college magazines in the 1890s when students began calling carts outside their dormitories that sold hot dogs as ” dog carts “. It didn’t take long for the word “dog” to become “hot dog.” They were first sold by German immigrants from pushcarts on New York City’s Bowery in the 1860s. Another story goes that a German butcher, Charles Feltman, in 1871 was selling sausage with milk rolls at his stand in Coney. Island, starting a trend to this day for the famous “Coney Dog” (usually topped with a tasty meat sauce). The muffin made its debut at the Colombian Exposition a few years later, where visitors ate it in large quantities. The vendors had a success in their hands and we can thank the Germans for their culinary contribution.
These 2016 statistics confirm the enormous demand and popularity; Los Angeles residents consume more hot dogs than any other city (more than 36 million pounds), surpassing New York and Philadelphia. Dodgers fans alone consumed 2.6 million in 2016, the birthplace of the Dodger Dog, a 10-inch pork sausage wrapped in a steamed bun sold at Dodger Stadium; nationwide, Major League Baseball fans enjoyed 19.4 million during the 2016 season;
+ On Independence Day (July 4), Americans enjoy 150 million hot dogs, enough to get from DC to Los Angeles more than five times;
+ During peak season, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans typically consume 7 billion; that’s 818 consumed per second.
+ Major cities that consume hot dogs host a major league baseball team (not
surprise there):
the Angels
Chicago
New York
Philadelphia
Boston
Phoenix
Atlanta
Detroit
Washington dc
Tampa
+ Nathan’s – started in 1916 by a Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker selling a 5 center from his Coney Island booth, they still dominate New York and are famous for their July 4th food contest; reigning male champion again in 2018, Joey Chestnut (with a record of 74 in 10 minutes) and Miki Sudo (female) at 37 (burp);
+ Wienerschnitzel – an American fast food chain founded in 1961, also known as the world’s largest hot dog chain 358 locations;
+ Chicago Style: Who doesn’t know what it is: hot dog, poppy seed bun, Vienna sausage, mustard, tomato wedges, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, sports bell peppers, and a pinch of celery salt, don’t even mention the “k” word (tomato sauce);
Most popular retail brands:
+ Nathan’s Famous Skinless Hot Dogs (New Yorkers won’t settle for less)
+ Oscar Mayer Classic Wieners (no wonder here)
+ National Hebrew meat francs 97% fat free (less additives and fillers)
+ Sabrett Skinless Beef Sausages (Who?)
+ Ball Park Beef Franks (always popular)
Costco – In 2015, Costco food courts sold 128 million hot dogs; to $ 1.50 (includes drink) on average, compared to 100 million the previous year;
Retail sales: £ 1 billion sold in retail stores. That number represents more than $ 2.4 billion in retail sales.
+ Chicago O’Hare Airport sells six times as many hot dogs as Los Angeles and LaGuardia Airport combined, which equates to 725,000; travelers wait for a flight delay so they can eat those dogs;
Well the statistics don’t lie, Americans love their hot dogs and have their own unique ways of preparing and enjoying them. Whether you choose sauerkraut, chili, cheese, mustard, condiments, onions, ketchup, or all of the above, nothing satisfies more than a hot dog. Meals on the run, eaten by a street vendor or savored on a backyard barbecue, they are purely American and can be enjoyed by anyone anywhere, anytime. So pile up the seasonings and eat.