GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's National Hot Dog Day and the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council says American consumers eat 20 billion hot dogs a year. Whoa.
How about a little dog trivia? Folks in which city buy the most hot dogs each year? New York City residents purchase more hot dogs than any other city. Over $101Billion worth between grocery stores, and supermarkets, according to the NHDSC.
The region that eats the bulk of hot dogs every year, is the Southern U.S. This was a fun fact from the NHDSC, travelers passing through Chicago's O'Hare International Airport consume more hot dogs there than LaGuardia in New York and Los Angeles International.
Consumer Reports taste-tested all kinds of hot dogs to find the best ones.
"Hot dogs may not be the healthiest choice so when you have them -- occasionally -- you want them to be really good," said Paul Hope of Consumer Reports.
CR staffers taste-tested hot dogs from various brands. They evaluated flavor, juiciness, and whether hot dogs and their meat-free alternatives have that snap when you bite into them.
The taste testers unanimously agreed; go for Nathan's or Hebrew National. If you're looking for a meat-free option, look no further than the Beyond Meat sausages or the Impossible.
"The meatless bratwurst from Beyond and Impossible was so good that I would actually choose them over most hot dogs or bratwurst," said Hope.
CR says the Oscar Mayer Uncured Original Weiner is also a great option for the most basic, Hot-dog-like hot dog. It’s also a kid-pleaser, with its simple, straightforward taste.