Where Did Hamburgers Come From?

A hamburger is a grilled or pan-fried patty of ground beef, often topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, and with condiments such as mustard or ketchup. A mound of french fries is usually served on the side. Hamburgers are staple foods for students and adults who are culinary-challenged and enjoy the convenience of fast food. The hamburger is probably the most popular type of fast food, especially with ubiquitous diners and drive-ins.

The development of the modern hamburger most probably took place in America but the precise history is not clear, and there is some dispute as to where the hamburger was born after the arrival of the German beef patty in the U.S.

According to Wisconsin, they are the “Home of the Hamburger” and the first ever hamburger sandwich was prepared in 1885 by Charles Nagreen. This story suggests that when Nagreen was 15 years old, he put up a meatball business at a county fair. The business was unsuccessful since the meatballs were too difficult to eat while walking around the fair. Then it dawned at him to just flatten out the meatballs and place them in between slices of bread. He named his food invention as a “hamburger.” Wisconsin today has a Hamburger Hall of Fame, and yearly, they hold a burger festival come August.

Another story claims that the hamburger was born in Stark County, Ohio, care of Frank and Charles Menches in 1885. Frank and Charles traveled through county fairs where they would sell sausage patty sandwiches. One day, they ran out of pork so they substituted their pork patties with ground beef and named the new sandwich, “Hamburger” after Hamburg in New York.

One other possibility comes from a claim which dates back to 1890. Louis Lassen of Connecticut served “burgers” at his luncheonette. He ground some beef and served it in a sandwich. It was especially made for those who had to eat on-the-go.

Another story suggests that the hamburger could have been born in Hamburg, Germany. According to this story, there was a cook in Hamburg who made hamburgers in 1891. He made patties using ground beef and fried them in batter before sandwiching them in between slices of buttered bread and a fried egg. The sandwich was called Deutsches beefsteak. Sailors who loved the sandwich so much told tales of their favorite treat to the U.S. in 1894 when they visited New York.

Yet another famous story about the birth of the hamburger dates back to 1904 during the St. Louis World Fair. A man named Fletch “Old Dave” Davis took raw beef and grilled it until it was charred-brown. He sandwiched the grilled patty in between thick slices of toast. He also added raw onions on top. People loved it and word spread fast. He decided to open a hamburger stand at the St. Louis World Fair Louisiana Purchase Exhibition.

Despite not knowing clearly how the hamburger originated, it will always be a well-loved food item not just in the U.S. but all over the world. It has transformed in many ways as well, with countless toppings and sauces, varying weights of beef patties, and how raw or cooked people want them.

Hamburgers' Ancient Roots

The story of how hamburgers originated stems from the ways in which beef was used in the olden times, so you have to go back into history to truly understand where did hamburgers come from.

There are numerous accounts on how beef was incorporated into meals and how eventually it turned into the iconic sandwich we know today. During the Medieval times, the Tartars were a band of warriors who came from Central Asia. They would place portions of beef under their horses’ saddles while they rode them. By doing so, they would tenderize the beef that they would eat raw. This is how the origin of Beef Tartare came about.

In the 19th century, German immigrants brought to the United States a dish they called Hamburg Style Beef, which traveled all the way from the city of Hamburg Germany from Russia. The dish was served raw and consisted of chopped pieces of beef. This was considered to be the ancestor of our modern hamburger today.