According to Delish, Google Trends released the most popular hot dogs by state. I was surprised to see some I had never heard of, like the white hot dog, which looks more like a bratwurst to me. The Brazilian hot dog and the Senoran hot dog were two more I had never heard of. What didn't surprise me was the most popular hot dog was in Maine.

In the heart of New England, where lobsters reign supreme and pine trees tower high, there is a little culinary specialty that leaves tourists and visitors baffled and puts a big grin on our faces as locals. We're talking about the legendary red hot dog from Maine, which we like to call the “Red Snapper.”

According to a 2019 report by legendary reporter Bill Green of News Center Maine, the red snappers that Maine made famous were taken off the market when manufacturer Fred Rice sold his business to Tyson Foods. The company then stopped producing these popular hot dogs that Mainers couldn't live without.

Rice apparently reached out to Tyson and asked if anything could be done. They responded fairly quickly with permission to continue producing red snapper.

What exactly makes the hot dog red? Well, it's just a simple coloring solution. And what about the crunch? According to the interview, the casing is all natural and made from sheep intestines. Sounds delicious, right? I'm sure you could have gone on with your life without this fun fact.

'Tis the season. Grill up some red snapper with a little extra roast (well, that's how I like them).