Why is it called a "hamburger" when there is no ham in it?
Why is it "Where's the beef" when it should be where's the ham?
The answer is really quite simple: because Hamburg, Germany made the first hamburgers.
However, the history
of the hamburger is actually more complicated. Who actually invented
the first hamburger remains a mystery.
Some say it was a
group of nomadic people called the Tartars who tenderized their beef by
placing it under a horse's saddle--flattening it into a patty. Others
believe it was the German immigrants who traveled to the United States
during the 19th century bringing with them their favorite meal called
Hamburg Style Beef-- a raw chopped, piece of beef. Some argue Americans
placed the first cooked beef patty on a roll at the St. Louis World's
Fair in 1921.
Although beef is the most popular meat used in hamburgers, other meats such as pork and turkey have been used.
Ever since Bob's Big
Boy introduced the first double patty burger, new varieties of burgers
have been created. Today people enjoy veggie burgers, turkey burgers,
and quarter-pound burgers with many different toppings including
lettuce, mushrooms, cheese, onions, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, and
pickles.
Hamburgers remain one of the most favorite foods among Americans today.
Ranking #1 among all restaurants with 26,000 stores in 119 countries, McDonald's serves billions of hamburgers worldwide.
Holy Hamburger!