My here-and-there posts about Hot Dogs on and around the 4th of July weekend have resulted in a deluge of ‘conversations’ about summer grilling staples. But why are we talking about mayo on Hot Dogs?
Nathan’s – inventor of the Hot Dog as-we-know-it – agrees with me…
And the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC).
I’ve participated in many debates – some heated – in the past about ‘proper’, ‘necessary’ and ‘tradi-tional’ condiments for Hot Dogs. But until this past week, Mayo has never even been mentioned, much less debated.
All of a sudden, an issue…
I’ve long enjoyed playful playful debates about which is more traditional, authentic, ‘proper’, or pop-ular to dress a Hot Dog with: Ketchup or Mustard? The answer usually turns out to be – depends on where you come from and where you consume your Dogs.
In brief… With years of evidence accumulating between my ears, I’m increasingly convinced that a majority of North American adults tend to prefer mustard. Mention Ketchup, and the debate heats up fast. It seems ketchup’s rightful place in the Hot Dog Universe is as a sidekick to mustard. But folks elsewhere… Quietly and respectfully disagree.
Opinions mixed
But results appear mixed, if you adhere to a recent survey commissioned by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) and The North American Meat Institute (NAMI)…
According to the survey:
- 68 percent of Americans who eat hot dogs say they top them with mustard; followed by…
- ketchup (61 percent),
- onions (44 percent),
- relish (41 percent),
- chili (30 percent),
- cheese (29 percent),
- sauerkraut (20 percent),
- mayo (19 percent),
- bacon (14 percent),
- jalapenos (13 percent), and coleslaw (12 percent).
I was surprised to see that ketchup placed so high on the list; and mayo showed up at all.
An authoritative Guide…
The NHDSC actually publishes a Guide to Hot Dog Etiquette. It agrees with me about ketchup: “Don’t use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18. Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable.”
Notably… Neither ‘mayonnaise’ nor ‘mayo’ show up in the document at all.
Why mayo? Why now?
So what’s with the sudden explosion in popularity of mayo on Hot Dogs among the masses?
Some commenters to the NHDSC/NAMI survey results reacted as if they had been bitten by their dogs…
“Mayo on hot dog is a disease. Get well soon,” one wrote.
I’ve searched high and low and I can’t find any other opinion or post that specifically demonizes mayo on Hot dogs. But there are plenty of defenders attached to the NHDSC/NAMI survey results page…
“Mayo on hot dog is elite,” one user wrote.
“Mayo, mustard, ketchup, relish. […] Is this not the standard?” another wrote.
Yer another chimed in, “I [recently] tried Mayo on a Dog for the first time […] Never going back. Delicious. Mayo + Mustard or Mayo + Ketchup.”
“It’s meat and bread. I think mayo is a pretty standard condiment for meat and bread,” a fourth supporter offered. (I thought, rather lamely!)
My take
It turns out that, in the US South and internationally, there lurks an overwhelming ‘Silent Majority’ in favour of Mayo on their Hot Dogs.
Why am I only learning about this NOW? And who’s going to tell NHDSC/NAMI?
~ Maggie J.