History and Facts about Hamburgers

Craving fast food? Well, there’s nothing more appetizing than a juicy, cheesy hamburger to calm the rumbling in your stomach. Hamburgers have carved a special place in everyone’s hearts irrespective of their age. Teenagers and young adults were mesmerized by this delicacy-turned-fast food when they saw the carefree “Jughead” from Riverdale gorging on a plate full of hamburgers at Pop Tate’s. Though most of us wish for the tremendous appetite that Jughead has, which is nearly impossible to have, you can firmly assert that your love for hamburgers transcends everything just like it does for the famous comic character.

In a bid to commemorate everyone’s favorite fast food, the hamburger, people celebrate the National Hamburger Day on 28th May, every year. This is the day where you pay homage to the one food that has helped you narrowly escape hunger when you were persistent on playing “Home Alone” and forgot that your culinary skills aren’t up to the mark. All hail the mighty hamburger that underwent a series of changes and endeared itself to billions of people worldwide. One of the most popular variants of the hamburger is the cheese hamburger and Matthew McConaughey rightly said that “The man who invented the hamburger was smart; the man who invented the cheeseburger was a genius.” So, if you are interested in tracing the origins of your beloved hamburger, well, you are in for a “treat.”

The origin of hamburgers

Your delicious fast food has come a long way; it is believed that it began its journey from Egypt! Later, it traveled with the Genghis Khan’s Mongol Army and went around in Russia, and finally, it arrived in the country with the German immigrants. Phew! Now you would definitely look at the hamburger on your plate in a completely different light; it has such as rich and fascinating history to it.

Irrespective of all the claims made about the origin of the hamburger, people are still skeptical to believe which theory is the real one. It is believed that the modern-day hamburger was a dish in the ancient Egyptian cookbooks; it was prepared with ground meat and made into patties and garnished with spices. Later, the Mongolian army under Genghis Khan was believed to have relished these hamburgers. When this Mongolian army reached Russia, the hamburger transformed itself into the Steak Tartare, which is a delicacy made of raw beef. In the 16th century, the hamburger entered Germany via trade routes and reached the port of Hamburg in Germany. Thus, the name “hamburger.” The German immigrants introduced the hamburger to the U.S. citizens in the 18th and 19th century, and thus, began the journey of the American hamburger.

Interesting facts about the hamburger

If you are a hamburger fan, there are certain things that you need to know so you can marvel at the long history and amazing facts a fast food like hamburger has.

Louis Lassen of the Louis Lunch Sandwich Shop in New Haven, CT, has been credited with introducing the American hamburger by the Library of Congress!

•  The oldest burger chain in the country is called White Castle and has been functioning since 1921. It was built by Walter A. Anderson and E.W. Ingram, and they sold their burgers for 5 cents a piece! Imagine the number of burgers a dollar could have bought back then.
• Move over a club sandwich, the hamburger is here; burgers account for 40% of all the sandwiches sold in the country.
• If you wish to gauge the popularity of the hamburgers, you should know the fact that a single person in the country eats around 3 hamburgers a week, which means Americans eat around 50 billion burgers every year!
• Do you know Ray Kroc? He’s the McDonald’s head honcho, the one who made hamburgers popular worldwide. Well, it is surprising to know that he didn’t get into the burger business until he was in his 50s!
• Your dearest hamburger has a hall of fame all to itself; the Hamburger hall of fame is located in Seymour, Wisconsin.

Celebrating the National Hamburger Day

The National Hamburger Day is something everyone has to celebrate. Here are some interesting ways of celebrating this day.

• Host a hamburger party in your backyard. You can invite your friends and family and have a barbecue party.
• You can even attend Hamburger festivals that are held in many cities.
• Treat your taste buds by trying to make hamburgers from your own recipes! Try different toppings and ask your loved ones to join you in this endeavor.
• You can even visit the “House of Hamburger” in Seymour, Wisconsin, and pay homage to the delicious fast-food.

With an enriching and interesting history, the hamburger has become an indispensable part of our lives; even the most health-conscious person cannot resist taking a bite of this mouthwatering dish.

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