THE ALTERNATIVE BURGER BUN
Whoever came up with the notion that a burger bun had to be made from bread?Who was that brilliant person who could truly claim the title of Inventor of the Burgers? Hamburger, Burger…what’s the difference?
The facts regarding the origins are a little murky. It seems logical that it started in Hamburg, Germany. They invented the Hamburg Steak, seasoned chopped beef formed into patties. Germany immigrants brought it to the United States. It started appearing in high end restaurants, sometimes the most expensive item on the menu.
Our story begins when these German immigrants, who owned food carts, serviced the steam powered factories in the mid 1800’s. The workers had to eat standing before heading back into the factory. That’s where the bread (a.k.a. bun) became the perfect vehicle to serve the Hamburg steak. Overtime, ground meat was used, it could be created with less expensive cuts of meat. Then came the first fast food hamburger chain, founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson – White Castle hamburgers served in a paper sack.
So that’s the hamburger in a nutshell (or, should we say, in a bun). But what we are talking about is the transition we have gone through from not just a hamburger but now a “burger”. History has left the door open for us to create burgers that represent how we eat today. I stayed within the parameters of ground meat being mandatory and a bun that allows you to hold the burger in your hand. There’s a good chance you’ll need a few more napkins with the buns I chose, but if you want to keep your hands a little cleaner you can still take the traditional route with the classic hamburger bun.
The reinvented burger with some international twists and not so traditional buns!
Bello Burger
Pomodoro Burger
