Hamburgers

Hamburgers are a popular type of sandwich consisting of one or more cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun. The patty may be pan fried, grilled, smoked or flame broiled. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon, onion, pickles, and condiments such as mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish.

History

The term "hamburger" originally derives from Hamburg, Germany's second-largest city, from where many people emigrated to America. In High German, Burg means "fortified settlement" or "fortified refuge" and is a widespread component of place names. Hamburger can be a descriptive noun in German, referring to someone from Hamburg (compare London -> Londoner) or an adjective describing something from Hamburg. In English, its only definition is the culinary one.

Preparation

Hamburgers are a staple of fast food restaurants. The hamburgers served in major fast food establishments are usually mass-produced in factories and frozen for delivery to the site. These hamburgers are thin and of uniform thickness, differing from the traditional American hamburger prepared in homes and conventional restaurants, which is thicker and prepared by hand from ground beef.

Variations

There are many international and regional variations of the hamburger. For example, in Australia and New Zealand, a "hamburger" may also contain beetroot, pineapple, a fried egg and a slice of cheese. In Sweden, hamburgers are served in a traditional bread roll, instead of a bun.

Health concerns

While hamburgers are a popular food item, they have been subject to criticism, particularly within the fast food industry, for their association with high caloric intake and a possible increased risk of obesity and other health problems.

See also

• Cheeseburger
• Veggie burger
• List of sandwiches

Hamburgers Resources
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