Tip - History Of The Hamburger

Whether grilled, broiled, fried,baked, or picked up at a nearby fast-food 
restaurant, hamburgers are one of the most popular foods in America.


One of the first mentions in print of "hamburg steak" was in 1884, in the 
Boston Evening Journal, but the term "hamburger" appeared on a menu 
(believed to be printed in 1834) from Delmonico's restaurant in New York. 
In the1890s, "Hamburg steak" referred to a piece of beef that had been 
pounded and tenderized rather than a ground beef patty. In Mrs. Rorer's 
New Cook Book (1902), Hamburg steak is described as beef put twice through 
a meat grinder and mixed with onion and pepper, closer to the present 
day hamburger.


By 1912 ground meat patties were being served  in buns according to 
The American Dictionary of American Slang, the suffix "burger" came to 
mean "any hot sandwich served on a bun, often toasted, with many 
condiments...." 

White Castle opened their first  "hamburg stand" in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, 
and the popularity of the hamburger grew as Americans took to the roads. 

In the 1950s the McDonald's chain began, spawning dozens of competitors.


According to The American Dictionary of Food and Drink, Americans eat three 
hamburgers  per week per person! This is about 38 billion annually, or 
59 percent of all sandwiches consumed.