The dust has finally settled from the annual 4th of July frankfurter-frenzy, and the results are in! A new survey reveals Americans are displaying greater diversity and daring-do in summer Hot Dog choices than ever before…
A plethora of Bun Puppies are on tap for Summer 2024…
Google Trends has released a new ‘map’ of US national Hot Dog preferences, predicted to rule through the summer of 2024…
What they did
Google occasionally analyses our searching habits to determine -possible trends in just about every area of lour lives. Just before this past 4th of July, the search monster looked at what folks were, collectively, searching for in reference to Hot Dogs. Some of the results surprised me…
The ‘State’ of the Dog…
The Google survey confirmed some basic truths… And revealed some fascinating ‘facts’:
Basic Beef
The plain, basic ‘beef hot dog’ was most searched for in stoic, traditional states including Rhode Island, Michigan, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Alabama.
Korean Dog races ahead
A relatively new sweet-and-savoury flavour sensation, the Korean Dog, was the top-searched variety in Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, and Kansas, among others.
Specific Toppings
Googlers in some states wanted to find out where to get – or how to prepare – custom dogs with specific featured ingredients. Californians, for example, were strongly moved to seek details on Bacon-Wrapped Dogs. New Mexican online denizens sought information about Crescent Roll Dogs. And in Mississippi, folks were most interested in the classic Cheese Dog.
Alternative proteins
Searches for ‘alternative’ dogs were spotlighted individually in several specific states. Notable varieties included the Reindeer Dog in Alaska, the Chicken Dog in North Dakota, the Turkey Dog in Arkansas, and even a Meatless Dog in Oklahoma.
Regional Variants
As usual, the famous Regional Hot Dog variants were sought by many Googlers. Not surprisingly, that parade was led by the likes of the Coney Island Dog, the Chicago Dog, the Chili Dog and the ‘Smoky’.
The ‘Hots’
The classic ‘Red Hot’ Dog led searchers in Georgia and North Carolina. The trendy ‘White Hot’ Dog (made with un-smoked pork, beef, and veal) was a top search subject in New York State.
My take
As befits the nature of the Great American Melting Pot, the 2024 Google Hot Dog survey underlines a basic tenet of the culture: Americans feel free to embrace whatever Hot Dog style they fancy… And more power to them!
~ Maggie J.