This cookout staple is an American favorite. I’m not a fan

Who doesn’t like hot dogs? It’s almost un-American, like disliking football or Dolly Parton. But in the vast smorgasbord of festive foods, hot dogs have never done it for me. The reason might go back to my childhood.

It’s Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kickoff of summer in the US, which means Americans are practically required under federal law to gather friends and family, fire up the grill and cook something. For many people, that means scarfing down some hot dogs. I will not be one of those people. In the vast smorgasbord of festive foods, hot dogs have never done it for me. I’m not a vegetarian or a picky eater, and I’m not on some nitrates-free health kick. I just don’t care for them. During peak hot dog season, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans consume an estimated 7 billion hot dogs. That makes me a statistical outlier at best, and at worst, maybe a traitor. Who doesn’t like hot dogs? It’s almost un-American, like disliking football or Dolly Parton. I pass no judgment on hot dog lovers, and I understand the appeal. Hot dogs are cheap, easy to cook, portable and endlessly customizable. They’re the perfect outdoor food accessory: Grab a hot dog in one hand, and you still have another hand free for a cold beverage of your choice. At the famous annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, perennial champ Joey Chestnut once snarfed down 75 of them in 10 minutes. I watched this on TV, and it was a little traumatic.