- 20 Billion hot dogs are eaten every year.
- 7 Billion hot dogs are eaten every summer.
- 150 Million hot dogs are eaten every July 4.
- $28 Billion was spent on hot dogs in stores in 2020.
The Numbers in the U.S.
Shutterstock.com
Top 5 Toppings in the U.S.*
Mustard
71%
Ketchup
52%
Onions
47%
Chili
45%
Relish
41%
*By percent of people who say they use each topping
The Granger Collection
Hot dogs are also called frankfurters. Why? Some of the first people to sell these sausages in the U.S., in the mid-1800s, were from Frankfurt, Germany.
Toppings Around the World
How people in other countries top their dogs
shrimp salad
sweet chili sauce
avocado
fried egg
melted Gruyère cheese
pineapple
Eric Lowenbach/Getty Images
Nobody knows where the name hot dog comes from. One theory? It may have been a joking reference to dachshunds, which also came to the U.S. from Germany.
Writing Prompt
Choose a favorite food. Maybe it’s something you love to eat or cook, or maybe it’s a special dish in your family. Create an infographic that tells the story of that food.
This article was originally published in the May 2021 issue.
The Granger Collection (hot dog vendor); Eric Lowenbach/Getty Images (dachshund); iStockPhoto/Getty Images (sweet chili sauce, fried egg, Gruyère cheese); Suzifoo/Getty Images (avocado); Nattawut Lakjit/EyeEm/Getty Images (pineapple); Shutterstock.com (all other images)
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