Are you eating your hot dog the wrong way? Experts weigh in on the matter | WCTI (2024)

Fourth of July is a time of celebrating our nation's freedom, having fun and enjoying food. According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, Americans will eat 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day. That's enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than five times.

But what if you've been enjoying them all wrong? The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council has the following list of dos and don'ts:

What you should do, according to the experts:

• Serve sesame seed, poppy seed and plain buns with hot dogs. Sun-dried tomato buns or basil buns are considered unsophisticated with franks.
• Eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. Utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.
  
• Use paper plates to serve hot dogs. Everyday dishes are acceptable; china is a no-no.
• Condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog should be licked away, not washed.
• Use multi-colored toothpicks to serve co*cktail wieners. co*cktail forks are in poor taste.

What you should NEVER do, according to the experts:

• Put hot dog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. Always "dress the dog," not the bun. Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.
• Use a cloth napkin to wipe your mouth when eating a hot dog. Paper is always preferable.
• Take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. For foot-long wiener, seven bites are acceptable.
• Leave bits of bun on your plate. Eat it all.
• Place fresh herbs on the same plate with hot dogs. It makes the presentation look overdone.
  
• Use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18. Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable.
• Send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. It would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs.
• Bring wine to a hot dog barbecue. Beer, soda, lemonade and iced tea are preferable.
• Ever think there is a wrong time to serve hot dogs.

Watch the video below for a complete etiquette guide video.

Editor's note: Information in this story was provided by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council