Californians love their hot dogs as much as anyone in the nation. By the numbers, we eat the most because of our massive population. If you're on a tight budget, it is one of the cheapest foods to get by on, unless you eat a Pink's gourment hot dog, created in California.

"Hot Dogs, Relish the Moment", is the theme for National Hot Dog month held in July and promoted by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. We sent our reporter, Craig, out to do research at the local fair on sausages & dogs and he came back with some big findings. People love the foot-long dogs and they especially like them with cheese, ketchup, mustard and relish.

What's hot in the dog world this year? The 2-foot-long hot dog. It was unveiled in the spring when Texas Rangers brought home the bacon with a one pound, Texas-sized dog topped with fried onions, shredded cheese, jalapenos & chili for around $25. Not to be outdone, the Chicago White Sox gave that puppy a name and introduced it in their ballpark in a game against the Rangers on July 4. The "Giant Slugger" that can feed a horse is a Vienna Beef topped with nacho cheese, chili, grilled onions, and jalapenos – served in a 22-inch potato bun. Cost is $26.

HOW TO SAY HOT DOG:

• Spanish - Perrito Caliente
• Italian - Caldo Cane
• French - Chien Chaud
• German - Heisser Hund or Wurst
• Swedish - Korv
• Norweigan and Danish - Grillpolser
• Czech - Park v Rohliku

HOW HOT DOGS ARE MADE:

• meat trimmings of beef and/or pork are cut or ground into small pieces and placed in a mixer
• choppers blend the meat, spices, ice chips and curing ingredients into an emulsion or batter
• mixture is then pumped into an automatic stuffer/linker machine, where it flows into casings
• linked into long strands, they are moved to the smokehouse and cooked
• hot dogs are showered in cool water
• hot dogs made with cellulose casings (majority of hot dogs) sent to automatic peeler to strip "skin" away