We’re getting so near the three-day weekend — a.okay.a, the unofficial begin of summer time — that we will mainly odor the new canines on the grill.

And so as to add a touch of enjoyable to the combo, the Nationwide Sizzling Canine and Sausage Council, a really actual group based mostly in Washington, D.C., has crunched the numbers and is kicking off summer time with some (sometimes eyebrow-raising) information about our nationwide love affair with these ‘canines. 

For starters, the council reveals that Individuals devour a staggering 7 billion-with-a-B scorching canines throughout scorching canine season, which it says spans from Memorial Day by means of Labor Day. If you happen to do the mathematics, that is a mind-boggling 818 scorching canines each second throughout that three-month interval. Not even Joey Chestnut can match these numbers. 

The grandest day for warm canine consuming is July 4, when Individuals wolf down 150 million scorching canines. In response to the Council, that’s sufficient scorching canines to stretch from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles 5 occasions. (Notice to the Council: We’re eagerly ready for the day you’ll be placing these transcontinental scorching canine chains collectively. We’d like to be a part of it.) 

July is the largest gross sales month for warm canines — and it’s additionally Nationwide Sizzling Canine Month, which suggests there’s most likely some form of cause-and-effect taking place there. A full 10% of annual scorching canine gross sales occur in July.

Talking of Los Angeles, the West Coast metropolis consumes extra scorching canines than another spot in America, out-eating New York, Dallas, Chicago, and Boston. However on a per-capita foundation, even L.A. can’t sustain with Paducah, Kentucky. In the case of the cities with the largest scorching canine consumption based mostly on inhabitants, Paducah takes the highest…bun, adopted by Greensboro, North Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Buffalo, New York; and Knoxville, Tennessee. 

And if you happen to’re presently in Terminal 3 at Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport, you may discover a line of shoppers at Gold Coast Canine, or one of many different eating places that serves up ‘canines to vacationers. O’Hare is the nation’s high scorching dog-eating airport, promoting six occasions extra scorching canines than Los Angeles’ LAX and New York’s LaGuardia airports mixed. Abe Froman lives endlessly! 

Sizzling canines are nonetheless a well-liked concession at Main League Baseball stadiums. In 2019, the Los Angeles Dodgers shifted probably the most scorching canines, as Dodgers followers ate a whopping 2.7 million scorching canines that season. With 81 regular-season dwelling video games and three extra within the Nationwide League Division collection, that averages out to round 32,140 scorching canines per sport. (No, we is not going to be exhibiting our work.) 

Nevertheless, you kick off this unofficial season, grill safely. And bear in mind: Associates don’t let pals put ketchup anyplace close to their scorching canines.