Frankly Fun Summer Fare

All of the great things you can put on a hot dog bun and leave the hot dog off.

June/July 2003
By James A. Duke 
198-034-02
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Introduction by Claire Anderson Illustrations by Tom Griffin
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by James A. Duke
Introduction by Claire Anderson
Illustrations by Tom Griffin

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"From dogs, from their tails. They're a protein, but I don't know what kind."

-LYDIA

"They come from a farm plant like a carrot. They don't taste like carrots because they're different colors. They plant hot dog seeds and they grow in two minutes."

-KAITLYN

"They are made out of mud, because they're brown like mud. You take a big spoon and dip it in the mud and dry it with a fan. Then you cook 'em."

-KATIE

"From a horse tail and wheat."

-WILL

"They come from the hot dog truck. The truck takes them to the store for moms and dads. Nobody knows where they come from; it's a secret."

-ALEXIS

"A pig burps them out."

- KEVIN

It's America's celebrated mystery meat. Slathered in spicy mustard or buried under mounds of tangy sauerkraut, the ubiquitous hot dog has been standard summer fare at ballparks and backyard barbecues for more than a century. This Fourth of July, Americans will grill, cook and otherwise disguise more than 150 million (!) hot dogs.

The little wieners' popularity lies in the fact that they're cheap and easy to fix. After all, what other food product can you roast over a roaring campfire and feed to a whole Boy Scout troop for mere pennies?

But beyond nickels and dimes, what is there to these little beasts? Hot dog ingredients have been the butt (not to mention the brains and other assorted parts) of many jokes, but not even the national hot dog and sausage promotional board gives a substantive answer (the term "variety meats" does get deserved mention). Beyond the hearsay and humor, what we do know is that according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database, most commercially produced hot dogs get more than 70 percent of their total calories from fat. Many contain nitrites, preservatives that may pose health risks. Average hot dogs also are loaded with sodium, containing more than 20 percent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recommended Daily Value. They're a little short on protein, though, with only about 6 grams per 57-gram dog. For comparison's sake, a chicken breast of the same serving size has 1.8 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein and 38 (instead of 584) milligrams of sodium.

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