Dive into the journey of how the humble burger transformed into an American institution – and where to sample the authentic classic today.
While many Americans can't remember a time without burgers, these meaty marvels didn't become popular in the US until around a century ago.
George Motz, a.k.a. the Hamburger Scholar, has been traveling across the US for over 20 years, studying every nook and cranny of burger culture. After directing, producing, and starring in the award-winning documentary "Burger America" in 2004 and publishing state-by-state burger guides and "The Great American Burger Book" in 2016, he shared his expertise as the host of "Hamburger Scholars" on First We Feast's YouTube series, which aired in its fourth season.
"I've had burgers at more places than you've had first names," Motz casually mentioned. With an estimated 20,000 burgers under his belt and no plans to slow down, follow Motz as he uncovers history buried under thick slabs of beef and gooey cheese.
Discovering the Birthplace of the Burger
The burger's historic roots run deep.
According to Motz, the origins of the burger can be traced back to 13th-century Mongolia, where Mongols and Tatars engaged in warfare.
"Apparently, the Tatars loved eating raw ham on horseback. Whenever they stopped to camp, they'd finish off the raw ham, chop it up, maybe add some spices, and devour it," Motz explained.
This delicacy eventually made its way to laborers and ports along the Baltic Sea, eventually reaching Germany and Hamburg's harbor along the way. Centuries later, as it journeyed to the US, the dish transformed from raw lamb meat to minced cooked beef, eventually becoming the "Frikadellen" now celebrated in German cuisine.
German immigrants, waiting on ships, would often savor this affordable and hearty meal. When the immigrants left for the Midwest to settle in the early 19th century, they took this knowledge of the dish with them.
At state fairs, they set up stands and served hamburger steaks, a dish now regarded as a national dish. While hot dogs predated burgers as a fair food, they were said to have inspired locations that eventually served burgers on buns and eventually, the birth of the iconic burger.
Nobody can say for sure who first placed a burger patty between two slices of bread, but Motz explains that the idea spread like wildfire throughout the Midwest.
"At the heart of the Midwest, from Texas to Ohio to Wisconsin, there are at least seven to nine claims. That's too many claims. Unfortunately, there's no way to definitively prove who was the first to place a burger patty between two slices of bread," Motz said. "It happened simultaneously and nobody reported it."
American Classics inherit the Crown
As the trend grew, restaurants started serving sandwiches. Today, the burger stands as a symbol of American pride.
"The burger is essentially America's only culinary invention in the past 100 years. It began as a German dish but we took it and put it on a bun to create something truly special," Motz stated.
Despite the countless changes and the fast-food chains that have popularized the burger across the nation, some classic burger joints have withstood the test of time, from the Great Depression to Covid-19 and everything in between.
Whether you're on a road trip or on a burger pilgrimage, these US burger joints are worthy destinations, serving the freshest and most authentic burgers:
- Louis' Lunch (New Haven, Connecticut)
- White Manna (Hackensack, New Jersey)
- Powers Burgers (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
- Cozy Inn (Salina, Kansas)
- Burger Truck (Miamisburg, Ohio)
Discover the Legacy of Hamburgers
So this is the story of the humble burger, now turned American staple. From its ancient origins to its modern day triumphs, the burger has come full circle.
Enrichment Data
- Did you know that the original white bread rolls served with the first burgers were poor people's bread, unleavened and unsweetened and made of mostly cornmeal?
- The first commercial grinders for meat were introduced in the 1880s, making it easier for butchers to grind meat and helping to popularize minced meat dishes.
- German-born butcher Charles Nagreen introduced the "sauerkraut sandwich" at the 1851 fair in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This donut-shaped meat patty stuffed with sauerkraut is often cited as the inspiration for the modern hamburger.
- In 1919, at a Detroit drunken celebration, Walter Anderson sliced a bun down the middle, placed a broiled patty inside it, and called it a "hamburger sandwich." This is believed to be the first official use of the term in the United States.
