Why a hamburger is not a ham burger

Did you know? A hamburger does not contain any ham, yet it seems to be named after one of the most popular cuts of meat in the world. 

Actually, the name 'hamburger' comes from the seaport town of Hamburg in Germany, where it is thought that 19th-century sailors brought back the idea of raw shredded beef after trading with the Baltic provinces of Russia. Then, a German decided to cook the beef and stuff it between two slices of bread.

There is some controversy over the origin of the hamburger because its two basic ingredients - bread and beef - had been prepared and consumed separately for many years in different countries prior to getting combined into one meal. 

Shortly after its creation, the hamburger quickly included all of its currently typically characteristic trimmings, including onions, lettuce and sliced pickles.

The modern hamburger is a product of the culinary needs of a society rapidly changing due to industrialisation and the emergence of the working class and middle class with the resulting demand for mass-produced, affordable food that could be consumed on the go.

While hamburger lacks the presence of ham itself, it still is a burger which was invented in a city with the word 'ham' in it.