Ahamburger, often known as aburger, consists of fillings—usually apatty of ground meat, typicallybeef—placed inside a slicedbun, sesame seed bun, orbread roll. The patties are often served with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis. The filling of the burger can be topped withcondiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise,relish or a "special sauce", often a variation ofThousand Island dressing. A burger with the patty topped with cheese is called acheeseburger.[1] Under some definitions, a hamburger is considered asandwich.
Hamburgers are typically associated withfast-food restaurants anddiners but are also sold at other restaurants, including high-end establishments. There are many international and regionalvariations of hamburgers. Some of the largest multinational fast-food chains feature burgers as one of their core products:McDonald'sBig Mac andBurger King'sWhopper have become global icons ofAmerican culture.[2][3]
Etymology and terminology
The termhamburger originally derives fromHamburg, Germany. However, it's contentious what the exact connection between the food item and the city is.[4][5][6]
By linguisticrebracketing, the term "burger" eventually became a self-standing word that is associated with many different types of sandwiches that are similar to a hamburger, but contain different meats such asbuffalo in thebuffalo burger,venison,kangaroo,chicken,[7][8][9]turkey,elk,lamb orfish such assalmon in thesalmon burger, and even with meatless sandwiches as is the case of theveggie burger.[10]The termburger can also be applied to a meat patty on its own. Since the termhamburger usually implies beef, for clarityburger may be prefixed with the type of meat or meat substitute used, as inbeef burger,turkey burger,bison burger, orportobello burger.
Hamburg steak has been known as "Frikadelle" in Germany since the 17th century.The "Hamburger Rundstück" was popular already in 1869 and is believed to be a precursor to the modern Hamburger.Cheeseburger (with onions and tomatoes) at Louis' Lunch, New Haven, Connecticut
Versions of the meal have been served for over a century, but its origins are still unclear.[11] The 1758 edition of the bookThe Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy byHannah Glasse included a recipe called "Hamburgh sausage", suggesting that it should be served "roasted with toasted bread under it." A similar snack was also popular in Hamburg under the name of "Rundstück warm" ("bread roll warm") in 1869 or earlier,[12] and was supposedly eaten by emigrants on their way to America. However, this may have contained roasted beefsteak rather thanFrikadelle. It has alternatively been suggested that Hamburg steak served between two pieces of bread and eaten by Jewish passengers travelling from Hamburg to New York onHamburg America Line vessels (which began operations in 1847) became so well known that the shipping company gave its name to the dish.[13] It is not known which of these stories is the reason hamburgers got their name.
There is a reference to a "Hamburg steak" as early as 1884 inThe Boston Journal.[OED, under "steak"] On July 5, 1896, theChicago Daily Tribune made a highly specific claim regarding a "hamburger sandwich" in an article about a "Sandwich Car": "A distinguished favorite, only five cents, is Hamburger steak sandwich, the meat for which is kept ready in small patties and 'cooked while you wait' on the gasoline range."[14]
Claims of invention
"Hamburger steak sandwiches" have been advertised in U.S. newspapers from New York to Hawaii since at least the 1890s, but the inventor is unclear.[15]
The invention of hamburgers is attributed to various people, including Charlie Nagreen, Frank and Charles Menches, Oscar Weber Bilby, Fletcher Davis, and Louis Lassen.[16][17]White Castle traces the origin of the hamburger to Otto Krause in Hamburg, Germany.[18] Some have pointed to a recipe for "Hamburgh sausages" on toasted bread, published inThe Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1758, as a notable first source of the dish.[15]
Hamburgers gained national recognition in the U.S. at the1904 St. Louis World's Fair when theNew York Tribune referred to the hamburger as "the innovation of a food vendor on the pike."[17] No conclusive argument has ended the dispute over invention. An article fromABC News sums up: "One problem is that there is little written history. Another issue is that the burger spread happened largely at the World's Fair, from tiny vendors that came and went instantly. And it is entirely possible that more than one person came up with the idea at the same time in different parts of the country."[19]
Louis Lassen
The restaurantLouis' Lunch inNew Haven, Connecticut, founded in 1895, has long claimed to be the "birthplace of the hamburger sandwich".[20] Ostensibly, around 1900, Danish immigrant Louis Lassen found himself out of steaks when a customer ordered a quick hot meal. Taking ground beef trimmings, Louis made a patty and grilled it, putting it between two slices of toast.[17] (Some critics, such asNew York Magazine food editorJoshua Ozersky, claim that this sandwich was not a hamburger because the bread was toasted.[21])New York Magazine wrote in 1977 that, supposedly, "The dish actually had no name until some rowdy sailors from Hamburg named the meat on a bun after themselves years later".[22] This origin story has been amplified by Connecticut CongresswomanRosa DeLauro and the Library of Congress[23][24]—notwithstanding earlier references to hamburgers elsewhere in the country.[15]
Charlie Nagreen
One of the earliest claims of hamburger invention comes fromCharlie Nagreen, who in 1885 sold a meatball between two slices of bread at the Seymour Fair[25] now sometimes called the Outagamie County Fair.[21] The Seymour Community Historical Society ofSeymour, Wisconsin, credits Nagreen, also referred to as "Hamburger Charlie", with the invention. Nagreen was 15 when he reportedly sold pork sandwiches at the 1885 Seymour Fair so customers could eat while walking. The Historical Society explains that Nagreen named the hamburger after the Hamburg steak with which local German immigrants were familiar.[26][27]
Otto Krause
According toWhite Castle, Otto Krause was the inventor of the hamburger. In 1891, he created a beef patty cooked in butter and topped with a fried egg. German sailors later omitted the fried egg.[17]
Oscar Weber Bilby
The family of Oscar Weber Bilby claims the first-known hamburger on a bun was served on July 4, 1891, on Grandpa Oscar's farm. The bun was a yeast bun.[28][29][30] In 1995, GovernorFrank Keating proclaimed that the first true hamburger on a bun was created and consumed inTulsa, Oklahoma in 1891, calling Tulsa, "The Real Birthplace of the Hamburger".[31]
Frank and Charles Menches
A bacon cheeseburger from a New York City diner
Frank and Charles Menches claim to have sold a ground beef sandwich at the Erie County Fair in 1885 inHamburg, New York.[21] During the fair, they ran out of pork sausage for their sandwiches and substituted beef.[25] The brothers exhausted their supply of sausage, so they purchased chopped-up beef from a butcher, Andrew Klein. Historian Joseph Streamer wrote that the meat was from Stein's market, not Klein's, despite Stein's having sold the market in 1874.[25] The story notes that, in this case, the name of the hamburger comes from Hamburg, New York, not Hamburg, Germany.[25] Frank Menches's obituary inThe New York Times states that these events took place at the 1892 Summit County Fair inAkron, Ohio.[32]
Fletcher Davis
Fletcher Davis ofAthens, Texas, claimed to have invented the hamburger. According to oral histories, he opened a lunch counter in Athens in the 1880s and served a 'burger' of fried ground beef patties with mustard and Bermuda onion between two slices of bread, with a pickle on the side.[17] The story is that in 1904, Davis and his wife Ciddy ran a sandwich stand at the St. Louis World's Fair.[17] Historian Frank X. Tolbert noted that Athens resident Clint Murchison said his grandfather dated the hamburger to the 1880s with Fletcher "Old Dave" Davis.[25] A photo of "Old Dave's Hamburger Stand" from 1904 was sent to Tolbert as evidence of the claim.[25]
Other hamburger-steak claims
Various claims of the invention relate to the term "hamburger steak" without mention of its being a sandwich. The alleged first printed American menu listing hamburgers is an 1834 menu fromDelmonico's in New York.[33] However, the printer of the original menu was not yet in business in 1834.[30] In 1889, a menu from Walla Walla Union in Washington offered hamburger steak as a menu item.[17]
Between 1871 and 1884, "Hamburg Beefsteak" was on the "Breakfast and Supper Menu" of the Clipper Restaurant at 311/313 Pacific Street inSan Fernando, California. It cost 10 cents—the same price as mutton chops, pig's feet in batter, and stewed veal. It was not, however, on the dinner menu. Only "Pig's Head", "Calf Tongue", and "Stewed Kidneys" were listed.[34] Another claim ties the hamburger to Summit County, in New York or Ohio. Summit County, Ohio, exists, but Summit County, New York, does not.[25]
1921:White Castle,Wichita, Kansas. Due tobooks by Upton Sinclair and Arthur Kallet discrediting the cleanliness and nutritional value of ground beef, hamburger meat was unpopular with families until the White Castle restaurant chain took it upon themselves to market the cleanliness and quality of their food through scientific studies by preparing the food in full view of customers. The Company also reported in local newspapers how they carefully selected their meat, and opened the "Food Experiment Department" as a test kitchen and quality-control laboratory.[35] White Castle marketed and sold large numbers of small 65 mm (2+1⁄2 in) square hamburger sandwiches, known assliders, and created five holes in each patty, which helped them cook evenly and eliminated the need to flip the burger. In 1995, White Castle began selling frozen hamburgers in convenience stores and vending machines.[36]
1923:Kewpee Hamburgers, or Kewpee Hotels,Flint, Michigan. Kewpee was the second established hamburger chain and peaked at 400 locations beforeWorld War II. Many of these locations were licensed but not strictly franchised, and many closed during WWII. Between 1955 and 1967, another wave of Kewpee Hamburgers restaurants closed or changed names. In 1967, the Kewpee licensor moved the company to a franchise system. As of 2025, there are only five locations remaining.
1936:Big Boy. In 1937, Bob Wian created the double-decker hamburger at his stand in Glendale, California. Big Boy became the name of the hamburger, mascot, and restaurant. Big Boy expanded nationally through regional franchising and subfranchising. Primarily operating as drive-in restaurants in the 1950s, interior dining gradually replaced curb service by the early 1970s. Many franchises have closed or switched to operated independently, but the Big Boy double-decker hamburger remains the signature item at the remaining American Big Boy restaurants.
Hamburger preparation in a fast food establishmentA hamburger with fries bought as take-away, with the hamburger and the fries in separate containers
Hamburgers are often a feature offast foodrestaurants. In the United States, the hamburger patties served by major fast food chains are usually mass-produced in factories and then frozen for delivery to the site.[38] These hamburgers are relatively thin, differing from the traditional American hamburger prepared in homes and conventional restaurants, which is thicker and prepared by hand fromground beef. Most American hamburgers are round, but some fast-food chains, such asWendy's,Krystal, andWhite Castle sell square-cut hamburgers. Hamburgers in fast food restaurants are usually grilled on a flat top, but some establishments, such asBurger King, use a gas flame grilling process. At conventional American restaurants, hamburgers may be ordered "rare" but normally are served medium-well or well-done for food safety reasons. Fast food restaurants do not usually offer this option.
Some restaurants offer elaborate hamburgers using expensive cuts of meat and various cheeses, toppings, and sauces. One example is theBobby's Burger Palace chain founded by celebrity chef andFood Network starBobby Flay.
Hamburgers are often served as a fast dinner, picnic, or party food and are often cooked outdoors on barbecue grills.
According toBloomberg News, the average price of a fast-food restaurant burger in the United States increased by 16% between 2019 and 2024, reaching $8.41 in the second quarter of 2024. Specifically, the iconic Big Mac at McDonald's cost $5.29 during the same period, representing a 21% price increase over the same five-year span.[42]
The cost of Big Mac hamburgers in different countries has been used byThe Economist to easily compare purchasing power of different currencies in theBig Mac Index.[43]
Safety
Raw hamburgers may contain harmful bacteria that can produce food-borne illnesses such asEscherichia coli O157:H7, due to the occasional initial improper preparation of the meat, so caution is required for safety during handling and cooking. Because of the potential for food-borne illness, theUSDA, recommends hamburgers be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 °F (71 °C).[44] If cooked to this temperature, they are consideredwell-done.[45]
Vegetarian and vegan burgers can be formed from ameat analogue. These may include, when formed into patties,tofu,TVP,seitan (wheat gluten), beans, grains, or an assortment of vegetables.[55]
John Harvey Kellogg developed a peanut-based meat substitute which he called Nuttose in the 1890s.[56] In the 1960s and 1970s, some companies began making soy-based burgers, includingLoma Linda,Boca Burger andLightlife. Other producers entered business with new burgers in the 2000s, includingGardein,Impossible Foods andBeyond Meat.[57] These products are primarily made of peas, soy, mushrooms, yeast, beans, and/or nuts.
Apatty melt consists of a patty,sautéed onions and cheese between two slices ofrye bread. The sandwich is then buttered and fried.
Aslider is a tiny square hamburger patty served on an equally small bun and usually sprinkled with diced onions. According to the earliest citations, the name originated aboardU.S. Navy ships due to how greasy burgers slid across the galley grill as the ship sailed.[59][60] Other versions claim the term "slider" originated from the hamburgers that were so greasy they practically slid down flight line galleys at military airfields, or from the fact that the burgers' small size allowed them to "slide" right down the throat in one or two bites.
InAlberta, Canada, a "kubie burger" is a hamburger made with a pressed Ukrainian sausage (kubasa).[61]
Abutter burger, found commonly throughoutWisconsin and the Upper Midwest, is a normal burger with a pad of butter as a topping or a heavily buttered bun. It is the signature menu item of the restaurant chainCulver's.[62]
TheFat Boy is an iconic hamburger with chili meat sauce originating in the Greek burger restaurants ofWinnipeg,Manitoba[63]
InMinnesota, a "Juicy Lucy" (also spelled "Jucy Lucy"), is a hamburger with cheese inside the meat patty rather than on top. A piece of cheese is surrounded by raw meat and cooked until it melts, resulting in a molten core within the patty. This hot cheese tends to gush out at the first bite, so servers might instruct customers to let the sandwich cool for a few minutes before consumption.
Alow-carb burger is a hamburger served without a bun and replaced with large slices of lettuce, with mayonnaise or mustard being the sauces primarily used.[64][65][66]
A ramen burger, invented by Keizo Shimamoto, is a hamburger patty sandwiched between two discs of compressed ramen noodles in lieu of a traditional bun.[67]
Luther Burger is a bacon cheeseburger with two glazed doughnuts instead of buns.[62]
Steamed cheeseburger is a cheeseburger in which the burger is steamed instead of grilled. It was invented in Connecticut.[62]
Marketing
In the United States, "steak burger" is a marketing term for a hamburger claimed to be of superior quality.[68][69][70] In Australia, the term refers to a burger bun containing asteak and is more commonly called a steak sandwich.[71][72][73][74]
Use of the term "steakburger" dates to the 1920s in the United States.[75] In the U.S. in 1934, A.H. "Gus" Belt, the founder ofSteak 'n Shake, devised a higher-quality hamburger and offered it as a "steakburger" to customers at the company's first location inNormal, Illinois.[76] This burger used a combination of ground meat from the strip portion ofT-bone steak andsirloin steak in its preparation.[76] Steakburgers are a primary menu item atSteak 'n Shake restaurants,[76] and the company's registeredtrademarks included "original steakburger" and "famous for steakburgers".[77] Steak 'n Shake's "Prime Steakburgers" are now made ofchoice grade brisket and chuck.[78]
In 2004,Steak 'n Shake suedBurger King over the latter's use of the termSteak Burger in conjunction with one of its menu items, claiming that such use infringed on trademark rights.[79][80]The case was settled out of court.[81]
France
In 2012, according to a study by the NDP cabinet, the French consume 14 hamburgers in restaurants per year per person, placing them fourth in the world and second in Europe, just behind the British.[82] A popular burger chain in France isQuick.[83]
According to a study by Gira Conseil on the consumption of hamburgers in France in 2013, 75% of traditional French restaurants offer at least one hamburger on their menu, and for a third of these restaurants, it has become the leader in the range of dishes, ahead of rib steaks, grills, or fish.[84]
Hamburgers in the UK and Ireland are very similar to those in the US, and the same big two chains dominate there as in the U.S. — McDonald's and Burger King. The menus offered to both countries are virtually identical, although portion sizes tend to be smaller in the UK. In Ireland, the burger-serving food outletSupermacs is widespread throughout the country. In Ireland,Abrakebabra, which began as a kebab restaurant, andEddie Rocket's are also major chains.[citation needed]
A native rival to the big two U.S. chains was the fast-food chain popular in Britain,Wimpy, originally known as Wimpy Bar (opened 1954 at the Lyon's Corner House in Coventry Street London), which served its hamburgers on a plate with British-stylechips, accompanied bycutlery and delivered to the customer's table. In the late 1970s, to compete with McDonald's,[86] Wimpy began to open American-style counter-service restaurants, and the brand disappeared from many UK high streets when those restaurants were re-branded as Burger Kings between 1989 and 1990 by the then-owner of both brands,Grand Metropolitan. Amanagement buyout in 1990 split the brands again, and now Wimpy table-service restaurants can still be found in many town centers, while new counter-service Wimpys are now often found at highway service stations.[citation needed]
Hamburgers are also available from mobilekiosks, commonly known as "burger vans", particularly at outdoor events such assoccer games. These burgers are usually served without any form of salad, only fried onions and a choice of tomato ketchup, mustard, or brown sauce.[citation needed]
Hamburgers andveggie burgers served with chips, and salad are standardpub grub menu items. Many pubs specialize in "gourmet" burgers. These are usually high-quality minced steak patties topped with things such as blue cheese, brie, avocado, or anchovy mayonnaise.. Some Britishpubs serve burger patties made from more exotic meats, includingvenison burgers (sometimes nicknamed Bambi Burgers),bison burgers,ostrich burgers, and in some Australian-themed pubs evenkangaroo burgers can be purchased. These burgers are served similarly to the traditional hamburger but are sometimes served with a different sauce, including redcurrant sauce, mint sauce, or plum sauce.[citation needed]
In the early 21st century, "premium" hamburger chains and independent restaurants have arisen, selling burgers produced from meat stated to be of high quality and oftenorganic, usually served to eat on the premises rather than to take to-go.[87] Chains includeGourmet Burger Kitchen, Ultimate Burger, Hamburger Union, and Byron Hamburgers in London. Independent restaurants such as Meatmarket and Dirty Burger developed a style of rich, juicy burger in 2012 which is known as adirty burger orthird-wave burger.[88]
In the UK, as in North America andJapan, the term "burger" can refer simply to the patty, be it beef, some other kind of meat, or vegetarian.[citation needed]
Australia and New Zealand
This hamburger in a fast food restaurant inAuckland, New Zealand, containsbeetroot for flavor.
Fast food franchises sell American-style fast-food hamburgers in Australia and New Zealand. The traditionalAustralasian hamburgers are usually bought fromfish and chip shops or milk bars rather than from chain restaurants. These traditional hamburgers are becoming less common as older-style fast food outlets decrease in number. The hamburger meat is almost always ground beef, or "mince", as it is more commonly referred to in Australia and New Zealand. They often include tomato, lettuce, grilled onion, and meat, at least. This is known in Australia as a "plain hamburger", and may also include cheese, pineapple, a fried egg,beetroot, and bacon. If all these optional ingredients are included, it is known in Australia as a "burger with the lot".[89][90]
In Australia and New Zealand, as in the United Kingdom, the wordsandwich is generally reserved for twoslices of bread (from a loaf) with fillings in between them. This is unlike in American English where asandwich is fillings between two pieces of any kind of bread, not only slices of bread. As such, in Australia and New Zealand,burgers are not generally considered to besandwiches.[91] The termburger is applied to any cut bun with a hot filling, even when the filling does not contain beef, such as a chicken burger (generally with chicken breast rather than chicken mince), salmon burger, pulled pork burger, veggie burger, etc.[citation needed]
The only variance between the two countries' hamburgers is that New Zealand's equivalent to "The Lot" often contains a steak (beef). The condiments regularly used are barbecue sauce andtomato sauce. The traditional Australasian hamburger never includes mayonnaise. TheMcDonald's "McOz" Burger is partway between American and Australian style burgers, having beetroot and tomato in an otherwise typical American burger; however, it is no longer a part of the menu. Likewise, McDonald's in New Zealand created aKiwiburger, similar to a Quarter Pounder, but including salad, beetroot, and a fried egg. TheHungry Jack's (Burger King) "Aussie Burger" has tomato, lettuce, onion, cheese, bacon, beetroot, egg, ketchup, and a meat patty, while adding pineapple is an upcharge. It is essentially a "Burger with the lot" but uses the standard Hungery Jack's circular breakfast egg rather than the fully fried egg used by local fish shops.[92]
In China, due to the branding of their sandwiches byMcDonald's andKFC restaurants in China, the word "burger" (汉堡) refers to all sandwiches that consist of two pieces of bun and a meat patty in between.[93]
A popular Chinesestreet food, known asroujiamo (肉夹馍), consists of meat (most commonly pork) sandwiched between two buns.Roujiamo has been called the "Chinese hamburger".[94] Since the sandwich dates back to theQin dynasty (221–206 BC) and fits the aforementioned Chinese word for burger, Chinese media have claimed that the hamburger was invented in China.[95][96][93]
In Japan, hamburgers can be served in a bun, calledhanbāgā (ハンバーガー), or without a bun, which is known ashanbāgu (ハンバーグ) or "hamburg", short for "hamburg steak".
Hamburg steaks (served without buns) are similar to what are known asSalisbury steaks in the US. They are made from minced beef, pork, or a blend of the two mixed with minced onions, eggs, breadcrumbs, and spices. They are served withbrown sauce (ordemi-glace in restaurants) with vegetable or salad sides, or occasionally inJapanese curries. Hamburgers may be served in casual, Western-style suburban restaurant chains known in Japan as "family restaurants".[citation needed]
Hamburgers with buns are predominantly the domain of fast food chains. Japan has homegrown hamburger chain restaurants such asMOS Burger,First Kitchen, andFreshness Burger. Local varieties of burgers served in Japan includeteriyaki burgers,katsu burgers (containingtonkatsu) and burgers containing shrimpkorokke. Some of the more unusual examples include therice burger, where the bun is made of rice, and the luxury 1,000-yen (US$10) "Takumi Burger" (meaning "artisan taste"), featuringavocados, freshly gratedwasabi, and other rare seasonal ingredients. In terms of the actual patty, there are burgers made withKobe beef, butchered from cows that are fed with beer and massaged daily. McDonald's Japan also recently in 2021[97] launched a McPork burger made with USpork. McDonald's has been gradually losing market share in Japan to these local hamburger chains due partly to the preference of Japanese diners for fresh ingredients and more refined, "upscale" hamburger offerings.[98]
Denmark
The modern Danish bøfsandwich
In Denmark, the hamburger was introduced in 1949, though it was called thebøfsandwich. There are many variations. While the original bøfsandwich was simply a generic meat patty containing a mix of beef andhorse meat, with slightly different garnish (mustard, ketchup, and soft onions), it has continued to evolve. Today, a bøfsandwich usually contains a beef patty; pickled cucumber; raw, pickled, fried, or soft onions; pickled red beets; mustard; ketchup;remoulade; and is often overflowing with brown gravy, which is sometimes even poured on top of the assembled bøfsandwich. The original bøfsandwich is still on the menu at the same restaurant from which it originated in 1949, now run by the original owner's grandson.[99]
Following the popularity of the bøfsandwich, many variations sprung up, using different types of meat instead of the beef patty. One variation, theflæskestegssandwich, grew especially popular. This variation replaces the minced beef patty with slices of pork loin or belly and typically uses sweet-and-sour pickled red cabbage, mayonnaise, mustard, and pork rinds as garnish.[100]
Today, the bøfsandwich, flæskestegssandwich, and their many variations co-exist with the more typical hamburger, with the opening of the first Burger King restaurant in 1977 popularizing the United States dish in Denmark. Many local, high-end burger restaurants dot the major cities, includingPopl, an offshoot ofNoma.[citation needed]
East Asia
Korean-style bulgogi burger
Rice burgers mentioned above are also available in several East Asian countries such as Taiwan and South Korea.Lotteria is a prominent hamburger franchise in Japan owned by the South KoreanLotte group, with outlets also in China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan. In addition to selling beef hamburgers, they have hamburgers made from squid, pork, tofu, and shrimp. Variations available in South Korea includeBulgogi burgers andKimchi burgers.
Chicken burger with rice bun (sold in Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore). Note that the "bun" is composed of cooked rice.
In the Philippines, a wide range of major U.S. fast-food franchises are well represented, together with local imitators, often amended to the local palate. The chainMcDonald's (locally nicknamed "McDo") has a range of burger and chicken dishes often accompanied by plainsteamed rice, or French fries. The Philippines boasts its own burger chain calledJollibee, which offers burger meals and chicken, including a signature burger called "Champ". Jollibee now has several outlets in the United States, theSWANA region, and East Asia.[citation needed]
India
Vada pav or "Bombay Burger" is made of potatoes and spices.
In India, burger is a term inIndian English that refers to a variety of sandwiches usually made from chicken or vegetable patties, due to cultural beliefs against eating beef (which stem fromHindu religious practice) and pork (which stems fromIslamic religious practice). Accordingly, most fast food chains and restaurants in India do not serve beef. McDonald's in India, for instance, offers the "Maharaja Mac" instead of the Big Mac, substituting the beef patties with chicken. Another version of the Indian vegetarian burger is theBombay burger, consisting of a deep-fried potato patty dipped in gram flour batter. It is usually served with mint chutney and fried green chili.[citation needed]
Pakistan
In Pakistan, apart from in American fast food chains, burgers can be found in stalls near shopping areas. The best known is the "shami burger". This is made from "shami kebab", made by mixing lentils and minced lamb.[101] Onions, scrambled eggs, and ketchup are the most popular toppings.[citation needed]
Malaysia
Fast-food burger restaurants in Malaysia typically sell eggs and fried chicken in addition to U.S.-style burgers. A popular local brand isRamly Burger, which combines a standard hamburger with an omelette.[citation needed]
Mongolia
In Mongolia, a recent surge in popularity of fast food due to the sudden influx of foreign influence has led to increasing prominence of the hamburger. Specialized fast food restaurants serving to Mongolian tastes have sprung up and seen great success.[citation needed]
In the former Yugoslavia, and originally in Serbia, there is a local version of the hamburger known as thepljeskavica. It is often served as a patty but may also have a bun.[citation needed]
Belgium and Netherlands
Throughout Belgium and in some eateries in the Netherlands, a Bicky Burger is sold that combines pork, chicken, and horse meat.[102][103] The hamburger, usually fried, is served between a bun, sprinkled with sesame seeds. It often comes with a specificBickysaus (Bicky dressing) made with mayonnaise, mustard, cabbage, and onion.[102]
Unusual hamburgers
In May 2012,Serendipity 3 was recognized as theGuinness World Records holder for serving the world's most expensive hamburger, the $295 Le Burger Extravagant.[104]
At $499, the world's largest hamburger commercially available weighs 185.8 pounds (84.3 kg) and is sold atMallie's Sports Grill & Bar inSouthgate, Michigan. Called the "Absolutely Ridiculous Burger", it takes about 12 hours to prepare. It was cooked and adjudicated on May 30, 2009.[105]
A $777Kobe beef andMaine lobster burger, topped with caramelized onion, Brie cheese, and prosciutto, was reported available at Le Burger Brasserie, inside theParis Las Vegas casino.[106]
On August 5, 2013, the first hamburger grown with cow cells outside a living animal was served. It was the result of a $300,000 research project intocultured meat, led by Mark Post atMaastricht University and sponsored by Google's co-founderSergey Brin.[107]
Slang
"$100 hamburger" ("hundred-dollar hamburger") is aviation slang for ageneral aviation pilot needing an excuse to fly. A $100 hamburger trip typically involves flying a short distance (less than two hours), eating at an airport restaurant, and flying home.[108]
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^abcdefgJohn E. Harmon."The Better Burger Battle". Atlas of Popular Culture in the Northeastern United States. Archived fromthe original on June 6, 2013. RetrievedNovember 24, 2025.
^"Obituary: Charles Menches." The New York Times. October 5, 1951.
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^The Canadian Oxford Dictionary has headwords for the Canadianisms "kubasa," "kubie" (as ahot dog), and "kubie burger," the latter two being specific toAlberta.
^Ronald R. Butters, "Trademark linguistics: Trademarks: Language that one owns," in Malcolm Coulthard, Alison Johnson,The Routledge Handbook of Forensic Linguistics, p. 360
^George Motz,Hamburger America, 2011ISBN0762440708, p. 17, 41
^Thomas Riggs,Encyclopedia of major marketing campaigns,2:456
^"Recipes for tasty, crunchy & saucy American style sandwiches".Unilever Food Solutions. Archived fromthe original on February 9, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 9, 2022.Expect a blank look if you're in the States and ask for a chicken burger 'cause they ain't got a clue what the hell you're talking about... It's just what we call burgers, which Americans call sandwiches...
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