July 23rd is National Hot Dog Day and to celebrate, Contract Testing reveals consumer preferences when it comes to one of North America’s most popular foods – the hot dog.
The top dog: the majority of respondents reported their preference for an all beef hot dog (62 per cent) with “the works” (ketchup, relish, mustard and onions).
In terms of the hot dog itself, some consumers preferred chicken to beef (14 per cent), followed by pork (9 per cent), turkey (6 per cent) and veggie (5 per cent). Less than 3 per cent of respondents said they didn’t eat hot dogs.
In terms of traditional toppings – ketchup, mustard and relish – nearly half of respondents (45 per cent) said they preferred “the works” with ketchup, mustard, relish and onions. Other combinations included: Ketchup and mustard (14 per cent) and ketchup, mustard and relish (13 per cent). Less than 1 per cent of respondents said they would prefer just relish. On the opposite side of the scale, more than 70 per cent of respondents said they would put cheese (any kind) on their hot dog.
We also probed consumers about their preferences for non-traditional toppings such as mac and cheese and kimchee. The top ten non-traditional hot dog toppings, according to our findings, included:
1. Cheese
2. Chilli and cheese
3. Plain chilli
4. Bacon wrapped
5. BBQ sauce
6. Hot banana peppers
7. Sauerkraut
8. Hot mustard
9. Salsa
10. Coleslaw
Less popular toppings included: Potato salad, blue cheese dressing, kimchee, Sriracha, and olives.
We also asked respondents to share their favourite non-traditional toppings and the most popular preferences included mayonnaise, pickles and bacon bits.
Did you know?
– The hot dog traces its lineage to the 15th-century Viennese sausage, or wienerwurst in German.
– Putting a hot dog on a bun was an American invention.
– Sausages in rolls were sold in Coney Island in 1871.
– The hot dog is also referred to as frankfurter, frank, weiner, weenie and red hot.
– Seasonings in a hot dog may include coriander, garlic, ground mustard, nutmeg, salt, sugar, and white pepper.
– Movie actress Marlene Dietrich (1902-1992) once said that hot dogs and champagne were her favorite meal.
– It is said that the legendary baseball player Babe Ruth (1895-1948) once downed 24 hot dogs between games of a double header.
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For information on this survey, or to learn more about Contract Testing, contact us at info@contracttesting.com.