Hot Dogs
By Ashley Perryman

Smoking grills ignite across the country every 4th of July as Americans gathered around the picnic tables to celebrate our freedom. Nearly 90 percent of those smoking grills are roasting the same thing: hot dogs.

Ten percent of all hot dog consumption occurs in July, and the month has been named “National Hot Dog Month”. It’s estimated that we consume 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day, with Southerners eating the lion’s share.

It’s not simply a food for convenience. Many people, like Tiffany Keifer, say hot dogs are their favorite food.

“I love them! I’m pregnant and my baby already loves them too, they’re her favorite food,” said Keifer.

Hot dogs, chopped into tiny pieces, are usually the first solid meat toddlers get to eat. Health concerns in the past years have ushered in lower-fat versions of hot dogs, but those sales constitute only about 12 percent of the market. When you throw on condiments and a little chili and cheese, it adds up to a hefty nutritional bill. But picnickers seem to agree that it’s worth it.

Hot dogs might be German in origin, but the food has become an American icon through the years. David Link says the hot dog isn’t just a traditional comfort food, it’s a metaphor.

“All parts of the animals come together in the hot dog and form one singular entity. Just like America is a solid, unified…slightly squishy like a hot dog entity,” he said.

There’s no question about it. There’s just something about hot dogs that brings people of all kinds together. Enjoy a hot dog this month.