Being a bit of a research oriented personality due to the glut of free time in the summer, I have been looking into expanding my knowledge.... through the internet (academically, as it were). Stemming from the previous post on Americas forgotten sausage, I decided to look up hot dogs in between my other "research" on brunette actresses in hollywood and Gestalt Psychology. Evidently, Hot Dogs, though forgotten and tossed off my many as a "kids food", have a following of Hot Doggers in the American Subculture, affectionately known as the "National Hot Dog and Sausage Council"(NHDSC). Before I make any more embarrasing innuendos involving sausage online, I shall post some notable examples of Hot Dog Etiquette as provided by the illustrious NHDSC.

Since we're there, let's make a foray into explaining why hot dogs are synonymous with American cuisine. The main reason is that these cute little sausage-sandwiches represent the American lifestyle in many, many facets, positively and negatively.

Don't...
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.

Do...
Eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. Utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.

Hot dogs "keep it real" (X_x). I say this because the generic American is very direct, preferring simple and honest conversation and relationships, and don't allow things to get elaborate and complicated. Hot dogs mirror this way of life as a popular American food; a simple sandwich at it's essence with no utensils separating it from proximity from the consumer.

Don't...
Take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. For foot-long wiener, seven bites are acceptable.

American's really don't like to wait, and so it is that hot dogs are small enough to eat in the space of a few bites. No nibbling, just get to the point.

Don't...
Leave bits of bun on your plate. Eat it all.

Of any long-standing world-encompassing value, we Americans embrace the saying "finish what you start" and "don't bite off more than you can chew". American Military personnel don't leave their fallen behind, and America lost the war in Vietnam (and eventually will lose their influence in Iraq) because they bit off too much. The general public, evidently forgetting about their hot dog etiquette, is unwilling to do what it takes to accomplish America's vision for an Independent and democratic Iraq.

Do...
Condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog should be licked away, not washed.

Accountability is the popular term with American politicians, who set up countless commissions and investigations to see who's really at fault (e.g. The Darfur Genocides, the World Trade Center, the US-led investigation of war crimes and prisoner torture in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay). Americans reflect this in their eating mannerisms too, with a lot of people I know licking their fingers after eating finger foods or hand-held foods like their hot dogs, being true patriots by being accountable for their messy condiments.

Don't...
Send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. It would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs.

We thank each other for telling the whole, unadulterated truth and getting to the point with a good time and an honest setting to converse. American society as a whole can be seen as a hot dog barbecue, where everything is out in the open and we enjoy the right to pursue our happiness. America values truth, clearing the air, getting out in the open. That's what the American justice system is purported to enforce, maybe with the exception of over/underpaid lawyers and endless paper trails.

Don't...
Bring wine to a hot dog barbecue. Beer, soda, lemonade and iced tea are preferable.

Remember when we hated the french so much when they opposed the war in Iraq? we called french fries freedom fries(unrelated in every single way imaginable. they even eat their "chips" with mayo instead of ketchup). We poured wine into the gutters, and espoused great pride in our country. Beer is the American drink of choice, brewed by the founding fathers and boldly unceremonious and free of frills. Wine is not as popular as Beer in the United states because the vast majority of people, the blue collar and middle class people, rarely have occasions in which to drink their wine, preferring informal settings (like a barbeque) where they can be themselves, not attatched to any formalities other than common sense (most of the time).

source:
http://www.hot-dog.org/hotdogetiquette.html


I don't know if you're absolutely convinced of any relationship between hot dogs and American cultural values, but hey, you really are what you eat. be a patriot dog!