The Humble Burger Has Come a Long Way!

It seems like every day there is a new trendy burger place popping up in cities all over the world. What was once considered a fastfood staple has now become something of a gourmet delicacy. What most people don’t know is that the humble burger has actually been around for centuries!

Let’s take a look at the history of the burger and explore some of the different ways it has evolved over time.

The “pre-history” of the beloved burger

According to legend, it was the Mongol horse-riding nomads who originated the concept of minced beef way back in the 12th century. Known as steak tartare, it was supposedly their staple dish.

From there, it made its way westward along the trade routes until it reached Russia. It was then picked up by German immigrants who brought it to America, where it eventually inspired the hamburger sandwich.

However, the exact origins of the dish remain a mystery, and it is likely that we will never know for sure who deserves credit for inventing this beloved American staple.

Where food historians agree

If there’s one thing food historians agree with, it’s that burgers came from Germany-specifically, in Hamburg.

Hamburg is a town in Germany that is well known for raising cattle, and their beef is top-rated not just in the country but across Europe. The first burgers were made of Hamburg meat, which is then mixed with salt, pepper, garlic, and onions. They are formed into patties, cooked and served as steaks.

Since Hamburg beef was known to be of high quality, these steaks were served in restaurants as a gourmet meal.

Today, hamburgers are made with a variety of different meats, including chicken, turkey, lamb and even fish. They can be served on a bun or without, and they come in a wide range of sizes and shapes.

Coming to America

When German immigrants started coming to New York and Chicago in the early 1800s, they brought with them their love of good food. Many of these immigrants earned a living by opening restaurants, and their menus featured a variety of German dishes.

One of the most popular was Hamburg steak, an Americanised version of the German offering. This dish was often the most expensive on the menu, but it was also the most popular with customers. German restaurants continued to thrive in America for many years, and Hamburg steak remained a staple on their menus.

The “burger as a sandwich” concept

The Industrial Revolution was a time of great change, and that included the way that people ate. Before the advent of factories, most people worked at home or on small farms, and they cooked their meals from scratch using fresh ingredients. But as more and more people began to work in factories, they didn’t have time to cook for themselves.

That’s where Hamburg steak came in. These ground beef patties were originally sold by food carts, and factory workers would eat them standing up.

However, they proved to be quite difficult to eat without utensils. So, one creative cook decided to sandwich the patty between two slices of bread, creating the first hamburger. This simple invention changed the way that people ate, and it soon became a standard menu item at diners and cafes across the country.

Becoming a fastfood icon

The first burger stand is believed to have opened in Seymour, Wisconsin in 1885, but it wasn’t until the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair that the burger really caught on. At the fair, visitors were introduced to a range of new foods from all over the world, including waffle ice cream cones, cotton candy, peanut butter, and iced tea. The burger was just one of many new attractions, but it quickly became a hit with fairgoers.

In the years that followed, the popularity of the burger spread across America, and now it remains to be one of the world’s favourite foods today.