National Hot Dog Day | Blue Mountain Blog

Whet Your Wienie Appetite and Celebrate Hot Dog Day!

Now that you’ve gotten some nice naptime in from yesterday’s National Hammock Day, you’re probably famished. So, satisfy your appetite and start celebrating all over again, for July 23 is National Hot Dog Day! It’s estimated that Americans eat roughly 20 billion hot dogs a year. That’s a lot of wienies!

Beef up your hot dog history and tantalize your taste buds with these mouth-watering recipes and suggestions for some hot dog dining!

A Little Hot Dog History

Although the origin of the hot dog is as widespread as there are toppings to put on it, some believe the frankfurter got its start from some enterprising butchers in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany and Vienna, Austria. Many migrated to America, bringing their delicacies with them.

In 1904, Bavarian proprietor Anton Feuchtwanger started running out of the gloves he gave customers to handle the hot sausage he sold. He reportedly procured the services of his brother-in-law baker who concocted soft rolls long enough to fit the meat, and the hot dog bun was born.

As for how “hot dog” got its name, it’s believed that New York cartoonist Tad Dorgan coined the term after watching vendors advertise their “dachshund sausages” by hollering to bystanders nearby. Uncertain of how to spell “dachshund” while sketching the scene, Dorgan substituted the words “hot dog” and the phrase stuck.

To Grill, or Not to Grill

Whether you’re tying on your grilling apron to cook up some hot dogs or heading to the ballpark to catch a game—and that stadium mustard!—there’s nothing like sinking your teeth into one of America’s favorite foods! If you do plan on firing up the grill to cook your own, or roasting it on a stick over an open flame, here are some finger-licking recipes to liven up any frankfurter:

Finger-Licking Frankfurter Recipes

  Chicago-Style Hot Dog:
  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicago-style-hot-dog/detail.aspx
  Detroit-Style Coney Dog:
  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/detroit-style-coney-dogs/detail.aspx
  Corn Dogs:
  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/corn-dogs/detail.aspx
  Sloppy Dogs:
  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sloppy-dogs/detail.aspx
Pretzel Dogs:
  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pretzel-dogs/detail.aspx

If you plan to pass on the grill and could use a tip on how to find some hot dog hot spots near you, here are a few sites to point you in the right direction:

Happy Hot Dog Hot Spots

And when you’re just plain dog tired and don’t want to fix your own franks, here’s a list of places that serve up some of the best plain to absolute gourmet dogs around!