With their delicious combination of bread, veggies, ketchup, and a patty, hamburgers can seem like a nearly perfect food, but did you know that May is National Hamburger Month? It’s time to celebrate your love of hamburgers, find out more in All About Hamburgers!
Hamburgers became popular in the U.S. after the 1904 World's Fair
Hamburger History
We may think of hamburgers as an all-American food, but the name “hamburger” is actually based on a large German city called Hamburg. Many different people claim to have invented the hamburger, The Library of Congress has said that Louis Lassen of New Haven Connecticut is the first cook to have invented it. Around 1900 he owned a food truck called Louis’ Lunch Truck where he reportedly sold the first hamburger, according to New York magazine:
“The dish actually had no name until some rowdy sailors from Hamburg named the meat on a bun after themselves years later".
However it was at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair that hungry hordes truly caught on to the hamburger. Other tales involve German sailors naming the food, but famous burger retailer White Castle claim that Otto Kause made the first hamburger in 1891, topping the meat with a fried egg.
Onions, tomato, pickles, ketchup and mustard are classic burger toppingsCourtesy of CBC
Fun Facts!
- Much like a Londoner is from London, a “Hamburger” is someone from Hamburg in German
- Sometimes the word burger is used when talking about just the patty
- Tulsa, Oklahoma also considers itself the hometown of the inventor of the hamburger
- After World War I hamburgers were often called Salisbury steak because of anti-German sentiment in the U.S
- It’s reported that White Castle made burgers popular again after the war by inventing sliders, small burgers that were 2.5 inches wide.
- McDonald’s sells around 550 million Big Macs a year!
- Many burgers feature patties made of different meats and even fish
- In Mexico hamburgers, called “hamburgeusas”, are commonly made with ham on them as well
- The world’s largest hamburger can be found at Mallie’s Sports Grill and Bar in Southgate, Michigan – it costs $499!
- May 28th is National Hamburger Day!
- September 18th is National Cheeseburger Day!
Burger patties are often made of beef
