History of the American Burger

Did you know that one of the world's most popular foods has only been around for about 100 years and was created in America? The in-depth history of hamburgers does date back further to 1848 when political unrest led Germans to migrate to the United States. The Germans brought their food and began to serve a popular Salisbury steak-like dish called "Hamburg-style" chopped steak. Hamburg in Germany was known as an exporter of high-quality beef. It was around this time that meet grinders also became common.


The origin of the more modern hamburger can be traced to lunch wagons, fair stands, and roadside restaurants in Wisconsin, Connecticut, Ohio, New York, and Texas. These places all take claim to have invented the ground beef patty on a bun combo late in the 19th century. The first large, official showcase of the hamburger was at the Louis World’s Fair. 


It was 2 years later that hamburgers experienced the first drawback. A book called The Jungle exposed the gross conditions of meat packing plants. Industrial ground beef could easily have fillers, preservatives, and meat scraps added. This caused the hamburger reputation to become harmed and it became a questionable food option. The bad reputation was able to be broken in 1921 when the first fast-food restaurant opened. White Castle, based in Kansas, was known for its health, cleanliness, and sanitation and quickly became popular for its burgers. McDonald's and In-N-Out Burger opened next, in 1948.  It was McDonald's that helped the burger become a global sensation.

 

Do you prefer burgers or hotdogs?

Did you Know Burgers were invented in the US?

What is your favortie fast food place to get burgers from?

White Castle didn't just invent sliders. The Kansas chain created a  playbook for American fast food | KMUW

https://www.history.com/news/hamburger-helpers-the-history-of-americas-favorite-sandwich  

You need to be a member of History 360 to add comments!

Join History 360

Replies are closed for this discussion.

Replies

  • I like burgers more than hotdogs personally but some people differ from it. I figured that burgers were probably made in the US since that is what we are known for a lot is our orgin of the burgers. I like a lot of places that sell burgers but I think the one I go the most would have to be Mcdonalds. I would like to go back to whataburger because it was really good.

  • I prefer burgers over hotdogs. I thought that burgers were created in the US, but I wasn't fully sure. My favorite fast food place to get a burger is probably Culvers because they seem more fresh, but I really want to try In-n-out sometime, I think that would be very good.

  • Personally, I prefer hamburgers over hotdogs, especially cheese burgers. I had no idea that burgers were invented in the United States, but I think that's interesting. I probably would say that my favorite place to get burgers is Culvers.

  • I prefer hotdogs over hamburgers, I just like the taste and I feel like it is easier to eat hotdogs than hamburgers. I did not know that hamburgers were invented in the U.S. I think that it is a very big assumption that they are originally from somewhere else. My favorite place to get a hamburger is Mcdonalds, but I also like getting them from MiCasa.

  • I like burgers better than hotdogs. Honestly, I did not know that they were made in the US. I don't really go out to eat very often but Culvers is really good.

  • I prefer burgers over hotdogs because I don't really like hotdogs. I did not know that burgers were invented in the US, but they are a staple, so it doesn't surprise me. My favorite place to get burgers from is probably Culvers because they are really good and have lots of good toppings. 

  • Personally, I like hotdogs better than hambugers, but both are pretty good. I like to get fast food from Culvers and Freddy's. I had know idea that hamburgers were made in the US, but it makes sense because they are so different from all the international foods.

  • I prefer hamburgers just because they taste better than hotdogs. I thought burgers were made in Germany not the US. I would say the best fast food place to get burgers from is either McDonalds or Burger King

  • Personally I prefer hamburgers as they are more enjoyable for me. I did not know that hamburgers were invented in the US I figured they would of been invented somewhere else most likely in europe. My favorite fast food place for burgers is probably McDonalds as thats the only place i really go to for hamburgers.

  • I like brugers way more than hotdogs and I will eat a burger pretty much from anywhere. I could kinda predict that burgers were made in the U.S. because they seem like a U.S. type of food. I think my favorite fast food place to get a burger from might be Freddy's.

This reply was deleted.
eXTReMe Tracker