History of the Hamburger

When we think of American foods, one of the first that comes to mind is the hamburger. Nothing hits the spot quite like that scrumptious concoction of beef, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles, and a nice bun. In honor of Burger Week, I will take you on a journey through the creation of the hamburger and its surprisingly storied origins.

Although the creation of what we consider a modern hamburger is disputed, we can trace back a similar style of meat preparation all the way back to the Mongols under Genghis Khan in the 12th century. Because they were always traveling on horseback, they needed food they could eat in one hand on their mounts. They would take scraps of meat, usually mutton, and soften it under the saddles of their horses and squish it into a patty-like shape, eating it raw. Later, when the Mongols reached Russia, the Russians adopted it and called it steak tartare, after “Tartars”, their word for the Mongols. The Russians built on the recipe by adding ingredients such as chopped onions and raw eggs, and over time the dish’s Mongol origins were forgotten.

Much later, in the 15th century, German ships brought steak tartare with them from Russian ports and called it “tartare steak”. Over the next few centuries it would become popular in many forms, such as the “frikadeller”, a dish of pan-fried balls of minced meat, eventually culminating in the popular “Hamburg steak” beloved by sailors in Hamburg. Then, in the late 18th and into the 19th centuries, Germany’s ports became the largest and most important ones in Europe. As such, there was lots of trading going on in coastal cities like Hamburg to other major cities like New York. There, in an effort to market to German sailors visiting America, food stands began selling Hamburg steak, and through these stands, the wave of immigrants throughout the late 19th century, and the availability of ground beef and other minced meat thanks to the invention of the meat grinder, it became commonplace in the United States.

From here, things get a little confusing. There are many supposed “first hamburgers” across America, with dates ranging from the 1880s to the early 1900s. The earliest claims come from Charlie Nagreen of Seymour, Wisconsin and Frank and Charles Menches in 1885. Nagreen claims that, at the age of 15, he was having trouble selling meatballs at the county fair, so he decided to flatten the meatballs and place them between two slices of bread so that they would be easier to carry around. The claim from the Mendes brothers states that, while the two were traveling in a concession circuit, during a stop in Hamburg, New York, they ran out of pork for their hot sausage sandwiches so, at the suggestion of the butcher, they substituted it for beef they ground up and served with spices, which they named “hamburger” after the town. Although he isn’t the earliest alleged inventor, Oscar Weber Bilby supposedly was the first to make a hamburger on a bun in 1891. Although his family admits that the idea of the hamburger may have already been established, his invention on his farm west of Tulsa, Oklahoma is still credited as a possible origin for the modern burger.

Although the hamburger supposedly received local popularity in these areas, it wasn’t until the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis that the hamburger reached the world stage and exploded in popularity after a New York Times reporter wrote on how it was an innovation in food vending. From there, the hamburger remained a popular meal worldwide, and the rest is history. If you’re looking to enjoy a hamburger while appreciating its legacy, come and try our Funky Burger. Its use of pimiento cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, beer pickles, and fancy sauce on a sesame seed bun make it a delicious way to honor America’s favorite way to eat beef! For more information on the history of the hamburger, click the button down below!

Author: Hugh Londrey

Hugh is an Indiana local and one of our marketing interns. He likes rowing and has proficiency in "bad" puns. He loves to travel, and was recently studying abroad in Rome! He also likes local businesses and a good beer. Hugh is a rising senior at Texas Christian University and is an active member of the Club Rowing Team and the Ad Association.