For your summer BBQ table talk

Oh, the joys of summer . . . 7/5/19 The Unlikely History of Fireworks Fireworks are synonymous with Independence Day in the United States, but how did they go from gunpowder to today's 4th of July firecrackers? While explosives date back thousands of years to ancient China, most people don't realize that modern fireworks came out of folklore. What It's Like to Eat Hot Dogs for Sport Anyone who has seen the July 4th Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest knows what it looks like to eat 30 hotdogs. But what does it feel like to down dozens of dogs in under 10 minutes? And how do the eaters train? Grab your napkin—competitive eater Crazy Legs Conti reveals all the messy details. The Surprising Origin of Dippin' Dots This story of (sugary sweet) American ingenuity, aka Dippin' Dots, starts, like so many do. . . in a family garage.  The Fishy Origins of Ketchup Ketchup: it's as American as baseball, July 4th and blues music. But have you ever wondered where it came from? As it turns out, ketchup wasn't invented in America, nor was it made from tomatoes. So what went into the original formula? Let's just say it wasn't very appetizing. Pick a Piece of Pickle Pie You might like the heartiness of apple pie, or the sticky sweetness of a slice of pecan, but if you want something fresh, original, with a bit of a punch, why not try Bicknell's famous pickle pie. Three hours south of Salt Lake City sits the town of Bicknell, Utah, home to Sunglow Cafe. Sunglow is proud to be perhaps the only place serving up specialty pickle pie.  Copyright © 2019 Great Big Story, LLC, All rights reserved.You are receiving this message because you subscribed to the Great Big Story newsletter. View this email in your browser.  Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list