Hot Dogs, Baked Beans and Buns

Americans have a serious love affair with hot dogs and baked beans; they will be consuming both in record numbers this summer.

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that over seven billion hot dogs will be eaten between Memorial Day and Labor Day. (25.9 million will be eaten in major league ballparks; more hot dogs will be eaten at New York's Yankee Stadium, 1.8 million this year, than any other in the country!) The 4th of July is the biggest hot dog holiday of the year; During this weekend alone, 155 million will be eaten.

Every year, Americans eat an average of 60 hot dogs each. More than 2 billion hot dogs will be consumed during National Hot Dog Month in July!

The term "hot dog" is credited to sports cartoonist Tad A. Dorgan. While sketching a cartoon of a hot dachshund sausage bun (he wasn't sure of the spelling for "dachshund", so he called them "hot dogs" around 1906.)

They were probably first served on a bun in 1904 at the St.Louis World's Fair, when they were still called frankfurters. Or they were originally sold on a bun from New York City pushcart vendors in the 1860s. (Sources vary on the origin.)

Also at the same St.Louis Fair was the introduction of French's Mustard by George J. French.

Mustard is the top hot dog topping for adults; children prefer ketchup. (25% picked chocolate sauce!) But preferences DO vary from region to region. Mustard is the favorite topping for Americans overall, though younger adults are preferring ketchup (50% of the 18-to-24-year-olds).

Marrieds with children prefer a chili topping more than the single, no kids crowd.

Democrats and Republicans equally love mustard (30%) and relish (11%), but more Republicans (25%)than Democrats (17%)preferred ketchup. Democrats had a stronger preference for spicy chili. Independents (26%)preferred ketchup.

New Englanders (66%)love mustard as their main topping, while the Deep South equally preferred mustard and ketchup, but really love the chili topping (27%)the most.