The greatest food mystery is finally solved.

*Originally published on July 19, 2021:

Every summer, people all over the United States flock to the grill for some delicious all-American hot dogs. However, we're always left disappointed when we finish cooking and there are always two bun-less hot dogs left in the package. Why do hot dog wieners come in packs of 10 while the buns only come in packs of eight?

With today, July 20, being National Hot Dog Day, we're wanting to finally get some answers on the age-old question: 

Why do you always have two hot dog wieners leftover?!

Experts state that the reason there's a discrepancy between wieners and buns is that people originally started eating hot dogs with a fork and knife, sans bun.

"Hot dogs were made in natural casings that remained on the hot dog when you ate them, and they were commonly eaten with a knife and fork," stated Janet Riley, vice-president of communications and public affairs at Maple Leaf Foods.

Riley was previously the head of the U.S. National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, that's a thing) and told curious hotdog lovers that in the past, people used to go to the deli for their hotdog wieners and order exactly how many they wanted. It was not until the early 1940s that hotdogs were mass-produced and packaged in a standard casing to ensure each one was the same size. This was when hot dog buns were introduced and back then, baking pans only had the capacity to hold four buns each. 

"These skinless wieners were sold in packages that were typically 10 to the pack, but baking pans baked four buns at a time, so two sets of four buns were sold in an eight bun package,” Riley said.

Although Riley answered Heinz's question, she and other hotdog experts challenge the company and stated that times have changed. Riley says that the number of hot dog buns and hot dog wieners in a package changes depending on where you are. In Canada, some brands offer six, eight, 12, and 24-pack hot dog buns to provide customers with everything they need for the perfect BBQ. 

The U.S. National Hot Dog and Sausage Council even weighed in on the controversy, offering hotdog lovers a simple math equation to help in their time of need.

"To save you from the bread aisle arithmetic anxiety, you need to purchase five bags of eight-to-the-pack buns and four 10-to-the-pack hot dogs to break even," according to the Council's website. The organization also commended Heinz for getting all of the companies on the same page. "We relish any partnerships to ketchup on hotdog and bun offerings so they cut the mustard for hot dog lovers everywhere," the Council said.