February 11, 2018 – LPM WordPress

Origin: Somewhere in America
Date: Late 19th century
Type: Ground beef in a bun

Although the hamburger is a culinary icon in America, the exact origin of this gastronomy delight is unknown. The founder of White Castle was credited for shoving meat and vegetables between two slices of bread which was called the Hamburger Sandwich, while other historians believed that it was a cook, Fletcher Davis of Athens, Texas who created the first hamburger. Some congresswoman said that the hamburger was first created by a Danish immigrant Louis Lassen in New Haven, Connecticut.

Burger With Ham Ketchup

While we’re playing Burger Wars, there are claims that Hamburg, Germany is the home to the first burger. They were called Hamburg steaks (onions, garlic, pepper and salt which were then formed into patties without a bread or a bun). Fast forward to German immigrants arriving in New York and Chicago and making a living by opening restaurants because you know how Europeans love spreading their culinary delights! If I recall it correctly, it was during the Industrial Revolution that one cook shoved the patty between two slices of bread and voila! The Hamburg sandwich was birthed. It’s too bad that this cook’s name is not on record. History needs to tell us why.

By the way, why is a hamburger called a hamburger? That is the real question?