Independence Day is a huge annual celebration in the USA – a day associated with fireworks, parades and food! But one food in particular takes the top spot on the Fourth of July, and that is the mighty hot dog.
With more than 750,000 posts on TikTok using the #hotdog, this sausage is certainly sizzling on social media. So, to celebrate the Fourth of July, here’s some fascinating facts, viral trends, and a few false claims about hot dogs.
How many hot dogs are eaten on Independence Day?
According to The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, an estimated 150 million hot dogs are eaten in the USA on the Fourth of July. That's enough to stretch from Washington D.C. on the east coast of the USA to L.A. on the west coast more than five times.
What are hot dogs really made of?
A viral TikTok which has been viewed more than 244 million times claims to show a cross section of a hot dog sausage under the microscope. When viewed up close, the clip shows dirt, worms and hair on the meat. However, all is not what it seems, as the video's creator later confessed that the clip had been altered. A second, less-viewed clip reveals the video creator deliberately contaminating the sausage by rubbing it on his jumper, computer keyboard, and desk before placing it under the microscope.
The original edited version of the video was picked up by news outlets and shared on various platforms perpetuating the spread of misinformation, which is when fake news has been shared unintentionally, by someone who doesn't know it's fake. It's important to pause before you share a piece of content like this, and consider whether or not it might be fake.
In reality, hot dogs are created from small chunks of beef, pork or poultry, along with spices, which are ground together to make a batter-like mixture which is then made into a sausage shape.
When did hot dogs become popular in the US?
Sausages have been a popular food in Europe for centuries, with varieties such as Frankfurter and Wiener originating in Germany and Austria. However, there is a lot of debate around who actually introduced the hot dog to the United States. According to Brooklyn native and Coney Island historian Michael Quinn, one of the big players in the American hot dog game was a German immigrant called Charles Feltman who started selling 'Coney Island red hots' from his converted pie cart on the beachfront in 1867. By 1900 Feltman had turned his sausage selling business into an empire that featured the largest restaurant in the world, a movie theatre and even a roller coaster!
Three times hot dogs went viral
Hot dogs or legs?
Amassing more than 9 billion views on TikTok, this sizzling trend takes social media by storm each summer with holidaymakers posting photos of their legs, usually on a sun lounger with the question 'hot dogs or legs'.
However, this fun trend isn't everybody's favourite flavour of Frankfurter, with a survey of 2000 adults saying they found hot dogs or legs photos the most annoying type of travel photo.
Hot dog recipes on your socials
From chilli cheese dogs and spiral cut grilled hot dogs, to cheesy garlic bread hot dogs and even octopus topped hot dogs. Gone are the days of topping your sausage with plain old ketchup, mustard and onions – viral gourmet hot dogs are the dish of the day on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, with inspo for these fancy sausage recipes getting more than 300 million views on TikTok alone.
Food trends and recipes can go viral in various ways, however many are accelerated by food influencers online who’ve amassed a huge following. By creating their own recipes, trying out others food creations or by reviewing their favourite food products or places, they can soon generate lots of positive reactions through their core following. Once a video begins to receive a large amount of views, likes, comments and shares, TikTok's algorithm pushes this video out to more user’s FYP, especially if you’ve previously engaged with similar content.
Viral food dog eating contests
The Coney Island hot dog eating contest takes place on the Fourth of July each year, and 2025 sees the return of competitive eating legend Joey Chestnut a.k.a "Jaws". Chestnut is the current world record holder, eating 83 hot dogs in ten minutes in the 2024 Netflix live event, 'Unfinished Beef'.
But eating contests include more than just hot dogs, with videos of food eating challenges being watched by millions on platforms like YouTube.
Online challenges, like extreme food eating, can be dangerous. Ghislaine Bombusa, Content and Digital Director at Internet Matters, says, "We know that online challenges can be really tempting to take part in, especially if it's something that some of your friends seem to be doing or encouraging you to do. However, it's really important to think about your safety, both mental and physical."
Not sure if the news you’re seeing on social media is true or false? Can you always tell if the things you see online are real or fake? Learn how to get the other side of the story with our quizzes, videos and explainers.
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