1 The term ‘Hamburger’ comes from the German city Hamburg, and the was taken to the US and UK by immigrants in the 18th Century.
Long before this The Tartars a nomad race of people from Central Asia would place pieces of meet (beef) under their saddles to tenderise it as they rode. These were a bit like burgers, but eaten raw (no gherkin either).
2 They may taste nice but burgers are NOT the most environmentally friendly food. Hamburgers are made out of cows, and methane produced by cows ‘grown’ to make meat makes up to 22% of the total damaging greenhouse gasses produced every year on the planet.
Every Quarter-pounder made produces approx the same CO2 Equivalent Greenhouse gasses as driving a car 5 miles to your nearest drive-in.
3 Elvis Presley loved Hamburgers (specifically Cheeseburgers) and would eat up to eight in one go.
His favourite burger joint was the Gridiron Restaurant (right) in Memphis as it was open 24hrs a day, perfect for those late night feasts.
4 Mcdonalds sell more Hamburgers than any other company and since the first restaurant opened in 1955 have sold over 100 billion hamburgers worldwide. Almost one in 8 people who has worked in the US, has at some time worked, or IS working for McDonalds.
McDonalds has stores in 123 countries worldwide, however their burgers have not got done well with everyone. Stores in Iceland and Jamaica have been forced to close down due to poor sales.
5 The Fleur de Lys restaurant inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas claim to sell the most expensive Hamburger in the world.
The Fleurburger 5000 is no ordinary burger, made from Kobe beef it’s topped with truffles and served in a nice brioche truffle bun. It also comes with a decent bottle of wine, a 1990 Chateau Petrus, and some posh glasses (that you can keep).
Plus, they will also make another one for your dining companion free of charge, although it might be an idea to ‘go dutch’ on this occasion.
The price? a snip at $5000.00
Top pic by James Joyce part of the BurgerMat show
Check out our Classic Burger and Fries Recipe HERE