Every third Wednesday in July, the United States celebrates National Hot Dog Day –, a holiday dedicated to traditional American dishes. Although in a number of states the holiday date is fixed – July 23.
Sausage, nested in an elongated bun cut from one edge and watered with ketchup or mustard, is today considered a classic of American cuisine. But no one knows for certain where the concept of «hot dog» came from in the USA, although it is known that 1893 was declared the big year of « sausages in a » bun.
As a national holiday, Hot Dog Day was officially established by the United States Chamber of Commerce in 1957. And in 1994, The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council was created to study the quality of the product, taste and advertise the hot dog.
Traditionally, members of the hot dog and sausage lovers council hold competitions in the art of making hot dogs, proclaiming 4 basic rules:
Persons under 18 years of age are not allowed to pour ketchup over a hot dog;
A hot dog in a butter bun cannot be eaten from a plate, but only with your hands;
The seasoning remaining on the hands should not be washed off, the fingers should be licked;
You cannot eat a hot dog in more than five bites;
Under no circumstances should you put a hot dog on elegant porcelain dishes; it is simply incompatible with the concept of «hot dog — national American food».
Each US state has its own recipe for making a hot dog in addition to the traditional one (Photo: tacar, licensed from Shutterstock.com)
Statistics say hot dog consumption has increased recently, and the average American eats approximately 60 hot dogs a year. On US Independence Day, Americans consume approximately 150 million hot dogs. If you stretch this hot dog chain, you can cover the distance between Washington and Los Angeles five times.
By the way, every American state has come up with its own recipe for preparing this popular dish. For example, in the southern United States they make corn hot dogs; in Kansas they add grated cheese and sauerkraut; apple and crab hot dogs are prepared in Chicago; Texas hot dog is served with cheese, hot jalapeno pepper and chili; You will get a New York sausage with light mustard and onions stewed in a creamy sauce; Vegetables are added to the hot dog in Atlanta...
Even the usual ketchup and mustard, hot dog manufacturers, responding to consumer requests, replaced it with wasabi and avocado-based mayonnaise, and some suggest trying hot dog with peanut butter and foie gras. And these are just some examples...
It also must be said that this traditional American dish is popular today not only in its homeland, but also in many countries of the world, including Russia, where it has many of its admirers, despite the arguments of doctors and nutritionists about the dangers of such food.