The City That Consumes More Hot Dogs Than Any Other
America loves its hot dogs. If you've ever spent time at a ballpark, attended a Fourth of July picnic, or watched Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, you can attest to this fact. If not, here are some pretty convincing numbers. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans purchased $3 billion worth of wieners in 2018, alone. During the summer, this nation will devour roughly 7 billion hot dogs. And, on the Fourth of July, revelers will nosh on 150 million of them, which equates to enough hot dogs to form a line all the way from "DC to LA more than five times." That is a sizeable heap of hot dogs.
In 2019, USA Today offered that the state with the highest "estimated hot dogs eaten per capita annually" was West Virginia with Illinois and Pennsylvania placing second and third. Wyoming appears to consume the lowest number. Does this information provide you with the clues you need to determine which American city devours more hot dogs than any other? Probably not, but you will be put out of your misery soon.
Los Angeles eats more hot dogs than any other city
A couple of cities might seem intuitive thanks to their famed franks. For instance, the Windy City might seem like an easy pick. The Chicago-style hot dog is famous for its all-beef wieners served on a poppy seed bun. Smother them with "yellow mustard, bright green relish, fresh chopped onions, juicy red tomato wedges, a kosher-style pickle spear, a couple of spicy sport peppers, and finally, a dash of celery salt" (via Tastes of Chicago) and you've got the perfect specimen. Just remember: Skip the ketchup. The Big Apple sounds like another strong candidate. Delish offers that New Yorkers prefer their dogs with "a spicy brown mustard and either sauerkraut or onions sautéed with tomato paste." But neither city holds the hot dog title.
Surprisingly, the Americans that gobble the highest number of hot dogs live in sunny Los Angeles. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council states that LA downs about 30 million pounds of this perennial favorite every year. And Dodger fans made their contribution to this win, eating "2.7 million in 2019" alone. And the LA hot dog is just as unique as those found in Chicago and New York. PBS describes it as being wrapped in bacon and "topped with charred jalapeños, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and lots of onions." Who knew that regional hot dog styles could differ so much depending on where you order one?