Depending on where you'll be this July 4, hot dogs take on a regional flavor
Take a guess on how many hot dogs are eaten during the week of July 4?
Give up? According to public affairs VP Eric Mittenthal of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, Washington, 150 MILLION hot dogs are consumed during the Independence Day week.
You think that's a lot of dogs? Mittenthal said 7 BILLION hot dogs are eaten between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and 20.5 MILLION hot dogs are downed at baseball stadiums. (Foot-longs are considered one dog for this statistic.)
The Council also compiled the ways hot dogs are eaten across America:
New York City: New Yorkers eat more hot dogs than any other group in the country, served with steamed onions and a pale, deli-style yellow mustard.
Chicago: Windy City dogs are layered with yellow mustard, dark green relish, chopped raw onion, tomato slices and topped with a dash of celery salt, served in a poppy seed bun.
Atlanta and the South: Dogs are "dragged through the garden" - topped with coleslaw.
Kansas City: Get the mints out - dogs are served here with sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese on a sesame seed bun.
Other regional preferences:
Midwesterners eat more pork and beef hot dogs than any other region of the country.
Westerners eat more poultry hot dogs than any other region of the country; Southerners are a close second.
Easterners prefer all-beef hot dogs and consume more of them than any other region of the country.
Baseball stadiums:
Turner Field, Atlanta - "Dragged through the garden," of course.
Fenway Park, Boston - The Fenway Frank is boiled and grilled, and served in a New England-style bun with mustard and relish.
Coors Field, Denver - The Rockie Dog is a foot-long dog with grilled peppers, kraut and onions.
Minute Maid Park, Houston - The Texas Dog is topped with chili, cheese and jalapenos. Details: www.hot-dog.org.
Association TRENDS wishes all a happy and safe Fourth of July! See you July 10, when we're back in the office.
