So, This Is The Reason Hot Dogs And Buns Come In Incongruent Packaging

There are many mysteries in the food world, ranging from why Brussels sprouts ever became popular to whether everyone is just pretending to like IPAs. Okay, maybe these reflect a bit of my personal prejudice, but there is one question that vexes just about everybody: Why are hot dogs sold in packages of 10, while hot dog buns come in bags of eight? Well, we've finally discovered the reason behind this annoying discrepancy. Surprise, surprise, it's something that benefits manufacturers more than buyers.

Hot dogs, like many kinds of meat, are sold by the pound, and it takes 10 standard-sized hot dogs to make up 16 ounces. (Each one, therefore, must weigh about 1.6 ounces.) The buns, on the other hand, are typically baked in pans that hold eight buns, and are packaged accordingly. 

Not all hot dogs come ten to a package, however. Oscar Mayer bun-length wieners are sold in packs of eight, thus making a perfect mathematical match for most bags of buns. On the other hand, however, you may need to pull out the calculator if you buy the 28-ounce package of Nathan's skinless bun-length franks, since it comes with 14 hot dogs. If you were expecting a competitive eater to attend your cookout, they could probably down five packages (Joey Chestnut has eaten at least 70 Nathan's Famous franks in seven out of the 17 years he won the Mustard Belt), but in this case, you'd need to purchase nine bags of buns — and would still wind up with two left over.

If you plan to eat 40 hot dogs at a time, the discrepancy between hot dog and bun packaging won't be a problem since the five bags of buns will balance out your four packs of hot dogs. If you're not in training to win a Mustard Belt of your own, though, you'll probably be stuck with leftovers of one component or another. Two packages of buns purchased to accommodate a single package of hot dogs will leave you with six of the former. You can always freeze your hot dog buns for later use, but you could also turn leftover hot dog buns into a sweet dessert (Spoiler: it's bread pudding) or eat them for breakfast in the form of hot dog bun French toast.

Buying a single bag of buns and one package of hot dogs, however, will result in two of the latter being left over. You can flip leftover hot dogs into a breakfast dish if you chop them up and stir them into scrambled eggs to make Mexican-style huevos con salchicha. Leftover hot dogs can also be added to fried rice, macaroni and cheese, or the kind of spaghetti served at the Filipino fast food chain, Jollibee. You could also make Japanese Napolitan or ankake spaghetti dishes, both of which combine a ketchup-based sauce with a sliced hot dog topping. Like Jolibee's spaghetti, they're quite a bit different than Italian style pasta. Nonetheless, they're well worth trying, especially if you're looking to use up a few leftover hot dogs.