The Long, Globally Influenced History of the Hamburger | Burger Cravings (2024)

FAQs

When did the hamburger become popular worldwide? ›

The hamburger as it is known today has multiple invention claims ranging between 1885 and 1904, but it is well established by the early 20th century. During the following 100 years, the hamburger spread throughout the world as a result of the emerging concept of fast food and a new business model: the franchise.

Brothers Charles and Frank Menches were sold out of sausage at their stand at a fair in Hamburg, New York, so they swapped in cooked ground beef mixed with coffee and brown sugar to add flavor, and served it as a sandwich. They called it a hamburger after Frank spotted the town's name on a banner at the fair.

After running out of their hot pork sandwiches at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, NY, Frank and Charles Menches mixed ground beef with spices and sold it between bread, naming it “the hamburger” after the city where the fair was held.

Like so many of our national symbols, it's history is up for debate and reflects the multicultural roots of our nation. Some say the hamburger originated in Hamburg, Germany, while others argue German-American immigrants were the first to serve fried ground beef in a sandwich.

1. Why are burgers so popular? Burgers are popular because they are among the cheap, delicious, easy-to-eat fast foods that are available everywhere. Burgers are also filling which makes them a great choice for lunch, evening snacks and sometimes even dinner.

The invention of hamburgers is commonly attributed to various people, including Charlie Nagreen, Frank and Charles Menches, Oscar Weber Bilby, Fletcher Davis, or Louis Lassen. White Castle traces the origin of the hamburger to Hamburg, Germany, with its invention by Otto Kuase.

It was created by Norm Cox in 1981, and it first appeared in the graphical user interface, the Xerox Star. Cox considered the three-line icon to be self-explanatory, since its three horizontal lines gave the appearance of a menu list.

Because Hamburg was known as an exporter of high-quality beef, restaurants began offering a “Hamburg-style” chopped steak. In mid-19th-century America, preparations of raw beef that had been chopped, chipped, ground or scraped were a common prescription for digestive issues.

1885: Seymour Fair, Wisconsin

Nagreen, affectionately known as "Hamburger Charlie," apparently squashed a beef meatball between slices of bread so his customers could walk around eating — a concoction he claimed was the first hamburger.

The United States leads in consumption, with individuals indulging 1-3 times per week, contributing to an annual expenditure of $160 billion. This significant intake is reflected in the habits of 37% of American adults who consume fast food daily and 83% of households that do so weekly.

Who was the first person to have a hamburger? ›

Charlie Nagreen: This Wisconsin native claimed to have sold the first burger in Outagamie County in 1885. “Hamburger Charlie” Nagreen reportedly flattened a meatball and placed it between two slices of bread to make it easier for fairgoers to eat.

Excellent question. The term 'hamburger' comes from Hamburg in Germany, where a minced beef style dish was first created. All of our burgers are made from whole cuts of 100% British and Irish beef, with nothing added except a pinch of salt and pepper after cooking.

The claim from the Mendes brothers states that, while the two were traveling in a concession circuit, during a stop in Hamburg, New York, they ran out of pork for their hot sausage sandwiches so, at the suggestion of the butcher, they substituted it for beef they ground up and served with spices, which they named “ ...

Brothers Frank and Charles Menches came from Ohio to sell food at the Erie County Fair in 1885 in Hamburg, NY and ran out of pork sausage. They went to a local butcher who gave them ground beef. They seasoned the meat with coffee, brown sugar, and spices and put it between two slices of bread.

A cheeseburger is a hamburger with a slice of melted cheese on top of the meat patty, added near the end of the cooking time.

Loosely based on the ground-beef steak popular in the German town of Hamburg, the hamburger gained national repute at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. In the 1920s the White Castle chain of restaurants helped popularize the hamburger, which was beginning to become a common food in many regions.

The popularity of the hamburger made its way to menus at local diners and restaurants, with owners putting their own spin onto the dish. By the 1920s, the dish was frequently paired with potato chips or fries and offered in urban areas.

The company's official timeline states that the 100million milestone was reached in 1958. By 1960 the number was 400million, and by 1962 it was 700million. The billionth burger was served in 1963 on the Art Linkletter TV show.

The origins of the burger are shrouded in mystery, but most food historians agree that it was invented in the United States in the late 1800s or early 1900s.