Why is it Called a Hamburger When it’s Made of Beef? Unpacking the Name

Bite into a juicy burger loaded with all the fixings and you likely aren’t thinking about why it’s called a hamburger. But the name is pretty curious since these tasty sandwiches contain beef, not ham. So how did this beefy sandwich get such a misleading name?

As it turns out, the history of the hamburger is filled with myths and multiple claims of origin, but the name itself points to specific roots. Let’s explore the theories behind the perplexing hamburger name

Hamburg Steak – A Meaty Beginning

Many food historians trace the hamburger back to Hamburg steak, a dish popular in the German port city of Hamburg in the 1800s. Hamburg steak consisted of minced beef and onions shaped into patties and fried up.

When Germans immigrated to America in large numbers later that century, they brought tasty Hamburg steaks along with them. As the dish gained popularity in the U.S. the name was Americanized to “hamburger steak.”

And Then Came the Bun

Hamburger steaks were served without a bun initially. But sometime between 1885 and 1904, an unknown innovator decided to place the patties between two slices of bread, giving birth to the “hamburger sandwich.”

This newfangled sandwich started appearing on American menus as the “hamburger,” the name we still use today. The term grew even more condensed to just “burger.”

Multiple Origin Stories Muddy the History

While Hamburg steak is the likely ancestor, there are numerous contested stories about who exactly invented the modern hamburger sandwich:

• 15-year old Charlie Nagreen slapped meatballs between bread at the 1885 Seymour Fair in Wisconsin.

• Brothers Frank and Charles Menches did the same at the 1885 Erie County Fair in New York, coining the “hamburger” term.

• Oscar Weber Bilby served the first patty on a bun at his 1891 Fourth of July picnic in Oklahoma.

• Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, CT claims to have invented the burger in 1900.

With no concrete evidence, it’s likely the popular sandwich emerged from multiple simultaneous sources. But Hamburg’s influence seems clear in the name.

Why No Ham in a Hamburger?

Here’s the obvious question – if hamburgers came from Hamburg, Germany, why is there no ham in the burger?

It comes down to mistranslation. The name “Hamburg steak” refers to the city of Hamburg, not the meat. There was never any ham in Hamburg steaks – it was always made from beef and onions.

When Germans introduced these minced beef patties to America, the name was simply anglicized to hamburger. But the meat remained good ol’ beef.

Burger vs Hamburger – Any Difference?

Is there any difference between a hamburger and a burger? Nope! The terms are used interchangeably. “Burger” is just a shorthand way of saying “hamburger.”

They both refer to a cooked ground beef patty served on a bun. The only variation might be beef substitutes like turkey, veggie or chicken burgers. But both beef and non-beef patties all fall under the umbrella hamburger name.

Hamburgers vs Sandwiches – A Fine Distinction

Despite being meat between buns, burgers are surprisingly not considered sandwiches. While subtle, there are contextual differences.

True sandwiches use sliced bread rather than buns associated with burgers. The filling also varies – sandwiches encompass anything from cold cuts to egg salad to grilled cheese. Burgers focus solely on patties.

So pressed for a technical definition, sandwiches are cold meats between sliced bread, while burgers are hot patties between bun halves. But in casual use, the lines often blur.

By Any Other Name…

While the “burger” name has a convoluted history, it stuck because it’s simple and catchy. By any other name, a perfectly charbroiled beef patty sandwiched between melt-in-your-mouth buns would taste just as divine.

But the hamburger moniker reminds us of the dish’s international roots. Next time you sink your teeth into a juicy quarter pounder, appreciate how immigration and cultural exchange shaped this iconic American creation. Delicious by design!