The Origins of Burgers: A Delicious and Mysterious History

From fast food joints to five-star restaurants, the mighty burger has become ubiquitous. Often hailed as a staple of American cuisine, its true international roots are much more complex. There are plenty of colourful stories and conflicting claims regarding the invention of the hamburger. Embark on a virtual tour of global destinations and the ancient past to discover the origins of burgers.

The history of burgers is actually disputed right up until the 20th century, so digging into the ancient past is even more complicated. The plot becomes thicker than barbecue sauce when you wonder what even defines a burger. Was the burger only invented when someone put minced meat between slices of bread? Or does a patty of ground meat count as a burger on its own?

If you're happy with the simple meat patty definition, then the origins go as far back as Ancient Rome. The Roman cookbook Apicius included a recipe called "Isicia Omentata" using minced pork with coriander, crushed nuts, pepper and salty fish sauce. Far from being fast food, this type of burger would have been a luxury served at feasts.

So how did the hamburger evolve from its ancient roots to its modern form?

Various minced meat recipes became popular in Hamburg, Germany during the 18th century, possibly inspired by recipes carried around the old trade routes that Genghis Khan also used. Europe began to acknowledge the German city as a pioneer of ground meat flavoured with blends of herbs and spices. In London in 1747, Hannah Glasse's book The Art of Cookery mentioned "Hamburg sausage", a ground-beef sausage served on toast. In 1802, the Oxford English Dictionary, no less, provided a definition for Hamburg steak in the form of a "slab" of ground beef.
 

Around the same time, in the early 1800s, Hamburg's port saw a lot of vessels departing for the United States, taking local culinary ideas with them. The burger was about to find its new home.

After voyagers began to arrive from Hamburg, it didn't take long before a meat patty dish bearing the city's name began appearing on American menus. In 1836, such a dish was on the menu at Delmonico's, a restaurant chain that pioneered fine dining in New York and Connecticut. It's believed that not long later, hungry factory workers and others who might not be able to partake in fine dining were also discovering burgers. Owners of New York food stalls began serving the patty between slices of bread so that these busy customers could eat on the go.

While New York and other areas of the Northeastern United States played a significant role in developing the hamburger, California lays claim to some much-loved variations. Chili burgers may be traced back to the 1920s and Ptomaine Tommy's, a Los Angeles restaurant that decided to spice up their burgers. The famous cheeseburger, meanwhile, likely dates from 1924, with origins in Pasadena, California. It was at The Rite Spot along Route 66 that "The Original Hamburger with Cheese" made its debut on a menu. Although the burger with the cheesy topping would become synonymous with everyday street food, it was amusingly named "The Aristocratic Burger" at The Rite Spot.

While the exact origins of burgers may be shrouded in mystery, a few individual names regularly crop up when the invention of the food is discussed. More than one had a connection to fairs, with the plausible explanation that two slices of bread allowed fairgoers to carry their food around more easily.

• The Menches Brothers – one popular theory about the origins of burgers says the Menches brothers, Frank and Charles, made a beef patty into a sandwich at Erie County Fair in 1885
• Charlie Nagreen – also in 1885, at Seymour Fair in Wisconsin, it was a squashed meatball that Charlie Nagreen laid between slices of bread for his customers 
• Louis Lassen - the proprietor of Louis' Lunch restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut is said to have pleased a hurried customer in 1900 by putting steak trimmings between slices of toast for the customer to take away. The restaurant is still in operation today and is recognised by the Library of Congress as the birthplace of the hamburger sandwich
• Fletcher Davis is said to have invented a version of the hamburger at his cafe in Athens, Texas during the 1880s, but made his version famous at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, a touch too late to take the crown from Louis Lassen 

Now that the entire world has embraced burgers, there are some truly gourmet hamburgers to tuck in to. But how do they vary around the world?

The smash burger is a modern take on the legendary food, but it still has a lengthy history dating back to the middle of the 20th century. The Dairy Cheer restaurant in Kentucky is often credited with the invention of the smash burger, and the claim is proudly displayed on signs outside the chain's outlets. The concept of squashing a patty flat onto a grill to cover a wider surface area with a tasty golden char is one of those ideas that suddenly seems so obvious once you hear it.

Restauranter Gregory Sams is widely credited with the invention of the vegetarian burger, at least by name, in 1982. Gregory ran a natural foods restaurant in London with his brother Craig and created the VegeBurger using soy, oats and sesame along with tomato, onion and herbs. The VegeBurger quickly became a hit, and Sams credited the product with saving his restaurant, which was once a favourite of John Lennon.

There are plenty of restaurants in Japan serving classic hamburgers in buns, but the more original version is also highly popular and still named after the German city. Order a "Hamburg" in Japan, and the patty will arrive without bread. The Hamburg is often served on a small, sizzling hot plate, and sweet onion sauce is one of the most popular condiments. 

While France is known for the strength of its own culinary culture, French people have taken hamburgers into their hearts, with more than 80 percent of restaurants offering burgers on their menu. To savour some of the finest burgers in Paris, check out burgers with truffles and other inspired tastes at Umami Burger Paris inside Pullman Paris Montparnasse (19 Rue du Commandant René Mouchotte, 75014 Paris).

Sydney benefits from the influence of many other cultures, from Australia’s indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations to immigrants from all over Asia and Europe. Sydney’s burger scene reflects this diversity, as well as the country’s bountiful produce. Expect the unexpected when it comes to Aussie burger ingredients, from beetroot and pineapple to fish katsu or vegan-friendly portobello mushroom patties. Welcome to the next generation of the burger legend.

Venison or wagyu patties? Jalapeños and blue cheese, or candied bacon and a brioche bun? It’s possible to get seriously fancy at the British capital’s most lauded burger joints, although sometimes there’s nothing better than the original pub grub hero – a beef patty dressed with crisp lettuce, thinly sliced tomato and a helping of mature British cheddar. For stacked, packed burgers, try Black Bear Burger, which has several locations across the city, meaning you can easily stop by no matter where you're staying in London.

A trip around Europe is about fascinating history... and about burgers too! Start planning your trip today.