Who has the best hot dogs — New York or New Jersey? Inside the sizzling bi-state wiener debate

Which glizzy has the most rizz?

Hot dogs are having a moment in the Big Apple, making their humble way onto high-end menus and into fancy cocktail bars — there’s even a 50-foot statue of the summer staple occupying Times Square , to the bewilderment of the tourist hordes.

With all that on the grill, there’s still room leftover for a sizzling rivalry between New York and neighboring New Jersey, with aficionados in both states addressing the searing question — whose wurst is the best?

The frank discussion kicked off after food blog Eater.com published a list of NYC’s finest ‘furters — a list that casually included not one, but three entries from the Garden State , setting tongues wagging among the west-of-the-Hudson wiener-loving set.

The mere thought of the neighbors stealing skinless valor left Jerseyans steamed, to say the least — with local media quick to sink their teeth into the controversy .

Pete Genovese is NJ.com’s acclaimed food writer — he assured The Post that his homeland stands at least a footlong ahead when it comes to hot dog bun-a-fides.

“New Jersey is the center of the hot dog universe. New York City and Chicago are distant runners up,” Genovese explained confidently, noting that Union, Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties — all a short distance from Manhattan — boast more hot dog stands and trucks than “any other comparably-sized area in the country.”

But it’s more than just volume that makes Jersey a coney conqueror — New York may manufacture and eat a lot of tube steaks, but next door, say Genovese and other experts, there’s this incredible diversity, with dog styles changing sometimes as frequently as town lines.

How Joey Chestnut learned of shocking ban from July 4 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

Plainfield, for example, is said to have originated the chili dog, while a short hop away, the locals are chowing down on something called an “Italian hot dog” — served with potatoes, peppers, and onions, in a kaiser-esque roll and first conceived in Newark in 1932, Genovese said.

Look at the NYC spots on the original list that sparked the controversy, the pup pro noted, and all you get are a lot of diners, delis and luncheonettes — and very few dedicated legends.

“That’s not a strong argument for New York City being a hot dog hot bed,” Genovese said.

George Shea, the Major League Eating commissioner, who presides over Coney Island’s legendary Fourth of July Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest , isn’t biting.

“I’m not dissing on New Jersey, but I’ve never heard someone say to me, ‘oh, you’ve got to try this New Jersey hot dog,’ kind of thing,” Shea told The Post.

“I don’t think you’re really going to find hot dogs in other locations that stand up to the New York hot dogs,” said the Ocean Avenue Nathan’s diehard, who also professes to be a big fan of Upper West Side icon Gray’s Papaya.

Eater’s list of NYC’s best, compiled by seasoned critic Robert Sietsema, begs to differ — Rutt’s Hutt of Clifton, known for its fried “ripper” with homemade relish, received a serious shoutout, along with chili dog haven Boulevard Drinks in Jersey City and Hiram’s, an Americana-giving roadside stand beloved by the late Anthony Bourdain, just south of the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee.

After Joey Chestnut controversy here are the competitors vying to become top dog in Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest

And, enthusiasts would argue, there could have been more — for example, places like The Hot Grill in Clifton, which makes a “Texas wiener” style fried chili dog, or Tommy’s in Elizabeth, or Dickie Dee’s or Jimmy Buff’s in Newark, all turning out a fine, fried potato-topped Italian dog.

But some New Yorkers take a look at the generously topped creations consumed next door with a shrug, likening them to Chicago-style dogs, buried in a maze of veggies and fixings.

“Once you start putting potatoes on a hot dog, it’s not a hot dog anymore,” cart man Dan Rossi — known as the “Hot Dog King of NY” — told The Post.

For almost 20 years, Rossi has been plying his trade in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, sleeping in his van to keep the prime location .

He said there’s another element besides straightforwardness that makes our dogs stand out from the rest.

“The New York hot dog is something spontaneous,” Rossi, 74, said. “It’s not a meal, it’s never like ‘let’s go get a hot dog.’ It’s something you have between meals because you crashed into a cart at the end of the block.”

New Yorker Ralph Perrazzo has to remain a little more diplomatic — the maker of Snap-O-Razzo Hot Dogs supplies greats on both sides of the river, like Sarge’s Delicatessen in Murray Hill and Cruz-Missile Dogs in Passaic, NJ, the latter recently awarded the status of best in New Jersey by Barstool Sports.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR MORNING REPORT NEWSLETTER

“The battle for New Jersey and New York, it’s a tough one,” he told The Post.

“Years ago, New York probably had a little more swagger, but I think recently New Jersey has really come up. I think New Jersey has created a culture that is a little different than New York,” he said.

One observer calls that an understatement.

“It’s two different cultures entirely,” New Jersey food influencer Jennifer Nangano pointed out to The Post.

Nangano, known online as FoodaholicNJ , also noted that the scene is hardly static, or dependent on vintage greats — new places are opening all the time, and not just in North Jersey, but near her hometown of Monmouth, too.

“It’s making its way down, places are opening everywhere — even in health-conscious Asbury Park,” she said.

One spot Nangano said she’s eager to try is “designer dog” gourmet eatery Destination Dogs in New Brunswick, which celebrates styles from across the globe.

Thanks but no thanks to all that, said Val Dekel, owner of Liebman’s Deli, a classic Jewish noshery in The Bronx.

“New York dogs tend to be a bit more simpler. The focus is much more on the actual frankfurter instead of everything thrown on it,” he told The Post.

“New York reigns supreme. No, not just the hot dogs, but everything compared to Jersey.”

For the latest in lifestyle, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/lifestyle/