- The origin of the hamburger is always disputed, but there are several significant moments in its history. Hamburger meat came from Hamburg, Germany, and through its exportation, it quickly rose in popularity all over the world. In 1885, a vendor in Wisconsin flattened meatballs and stuck them in between pieces of bread. During that same year, the Menches brothers used coffee and a mix of spices to create a hamburger in the city of Hamburg, New York. Cheese was first placed onto a hamburger in 1924 in the city of Pasadena, California, and the "cheeseburger" quickly grew in popularity.
- A burger can be created in many different ways. The hamburger is simply the patty and the bun. The cheeseburger features a slice of cheese. The double burger or double cheeseburger features two patties and two slices of cheese. The bacon cheeseburger is topped with slices of bacon. The veggie burger replaces the hamburger with a vegetable patty. A California burger features guacamole and bacon on top of the patty. A chicken burger replaces the beef patty with a chicken patty.
- Along with the patty, bun and cheese, many burgers are topped with condiments to add flavor. Ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, barbecue sauce, and bleu cheese are all popular condiments. Name-brand condiments like A-1 Sauce and Heinz 57 are also a popular topping for burgers.
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The popularity of the burger has made it a staple of many fast-food chains. McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's are all known for their hamburgers, and their business thrives on serving them. The McDonald's Big Mac features three buns--top, bottom and middle-- and is one of their most popular menu items. Burger King is known for its Whopper and Whopper Jr. Wendy's stands out with their square hamburger patties (as opposed to the typical round variety).
White Castle paved the way for mini-hamburgers, also known as sliders. This type of burger has also caught on at restaurant chains like Burger King, Ruby Tuesday and Chili's. - Worldwide, burgers are made differently than in the United States. Mexico actually lives up to the name of the hamburger by including ham in their patties. In certain areas of Canada, hamburgers are known as kubie burgers, and feature a sausage patty. In Japan, burgers are popular without the bun, and are known as hanbāgu. May Asian countries also eat rice burgers, in which the patty is a rice patty or the buns are replaced with rice buns.
Comments
stevemar2 said
on 7/14/2009 I love burgers. It's amazing how many ideas for combinations of toppings a person can come up with.
stevemar2 said
on 7/14/2009 I love burgers. It's amazing how many ideas for combinations of toppings a person can come up with.