Infographic: Charting America’s Hot Dog Obsession

If you could build the United States on any one food, it would most likely be the hot dog. A pork or beef frank in a soft white bun zigzagged with ketchup or mustard is really all you need for a perfect experience at the ballpark, block party, or backyard barbecue. And though our sausage palette may appear to have gotten more sophisticated in recent years—what with all those rattlesnake dogs and intricate (or just insane) toppings, the standard wiener-in-a-bun combo is a traditional summer mainstay for a reason.

But how much do you really know about the humble hot dog, or how much our country enjoys eating it? You might be surprised to learn Los Angeles—supposedly the land of kale and lemon water detoxes—houses the most ravenous hot dog eaters in the country, surpassing Chicago and other supposedly wiener-loving cities, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council reports. On the Fourth of July alone, Americans reportedly eat 150 million hot dogs—enough to stretch an epic link of sausages from L.A. to D.C. five times, says the NHDSC. (Though a hefty chunk of those dogs probably find themselves in the stomach of Joey Chestnut, the top competitive hot dog eater in the world.)

For more fun facts about hot dog consumption in the grand ol’ U.S. of A., check out the infographic below. You might get a better understanding of the hot dog’s place in our hearts—but we can’t guarantee you won’t be hungry by the end of it as well.