"Nathan's Famous is known for making some of the best hot dogs, but the chain, which opened its first location on Coney Island in 1916, is famous for starting a tradition that has become quite the phenomenon. The Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is a tradition that occurs every year on the Fourth of July, paying homage to the patriotism that helped it get started in the first place."
"Nathan's Famous held its first rendition of the event in 1972, but the contest's origins go back much further. Rumor has it that on Independence Day in 1916 four immigrants held a hot dog eating contest at the flagship location of Nathan's Famous on Coney Island to settle the debate about which one of them was the most patriotic. As the story goes, the winner was an Irishman who managed to put down 13 of the stand's legendary hot dogs."
"Some people simply host their own for fun, while some contests, like Nathan's Famous competition, attract world-famous competitors like Joey Chestnut, who has won this particular contest 17 times. Chestnut currently holds the official Guinness World Record for the most hot dogs eaten by a man. At the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2021, he put away an astonishing 76 hot dogs in just 10 minutes."
Nathan's Famous began on Coney Island in 1916 and established an annual International Hot Dog Eating Contest held each Fourth of July. The contest traces a legendary origin to 1916 when four immigrants reportedly competed to prove patriotism, with the winner eating 13 hot dogs. The first organized contest took place in 1972 and evolved into one of the world's best-known eating competitions. Competitive eating has ancient roots and institutional structure, including Major League Eating. The event attracts participants seeking spectacle, prizes, trophies, and fame, and has produced record performances such as Joey Chestnut's 76 hot dogs in ten minutes.
Read at Chowhound
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]