Burger Day is coming — and there’s nothing better than taking advantage of this opportunity to get to know one of the most iconic snacks on the planet better.
The hamburger is also the favorite snack on iFood: In 2022, more than 123 million of these sandwiches were sold through the app.
So, to satisfy the appetite of those who enjoy a burger, we created a guide that tells its story and provides tips on how to assemble the perfect homemade burger — check it out below.
When is Burger Day?
International Burger Day is celebrated on May 28, but the origin of the date and the burger remains a great mystery.
What we do know is that the day dedicated to the most popular snack in the world is filled with celebrations, tributes, activities in every corner.
The origin of the hamburger
Its origins date back to the emergence, in the 19th century, of Hamburg meatloaf, made with meat from cattle from the German city that bears the same name.
The traditional way of preparing Hamburg meat was to grind it, season it and shape it into round, flat dumplings, as historian Andrew F. Smith explains in the book Hamburger – A Global History (Ed. Senac, 2012).
For years, German restaurants in the United States served Hamburg steak with a variety of side dishes, such as vegetables, mashed potatoes and sauces.
Until the Hamburg steak met the bun, which was still square. Hence, the hamburger sandwich appeared, later called hamburger and finally, in English, burger.
At least two North American cities claim to be the original home of the dish: Athens, Texas, and Seymour, Wisconsin.
In 1890, at the beginning of the industrialization of the United States, the Hamburg Steak served between two pieces of bread had already become an American classic.
From food carts at factory doors, snacks gained space in restaurants, schools, homes and recipe books until they gained their own place: the cafeteria.
Created in 1921, in Chicago, White Castle was the world's first sandwich fast-food chain, later followed by others such as McDonald's, Jack in the Box, Burger King and Wendy's.
In Brazil, he arrived in 1952, with the opening of the Bob's snack bar, in Rio de Janeiro, the first fast-food chain in the country.
Types of burger
Several types have appeared since the popularization of simple bread with meat. First, condiments such as mustard and ketchup were added.
Hence variations emerged, such as the cheeseburger, in the 1920s, in which a slice of North American cheese was added to the meat.
Hundreds of other combinations were made, such as the chili burger, with pepper sauce, or the bacon burger, with strips of bacon.
Since then, the snack has evolved in flavors and prices, such as the gourmet burger a few thousand dollars, or the ramen burger, with pasta instead of bread.
See below more about some of the best-known types, such as gourmet, artisanal, American, vegetarian, vegan and stuffed.
American
The traditional American burger features grilled or fried meat between slices of round bread and slices of tomato, onion and pickles, lettuce and ketchup. Melted cheese may be added.
Handcrafted
The craft is made by hand, without machinery, in a simple way, with traditional ingredients: ground meat with fat, onion, garlic and salt.
Gourmet
Meats such as Japanese Kobe Beef, foie gras, truffles, black garlic are some of the varied ingredients that make up this type of snack.
Vegetarian and vegan
Vegetarians have more and more followers, even among those who consume meat. Legumes, mushrooms, legumes and other grains are its main ingredients.
Stuffed
The famous burger stuffed with Jucy Lucy cheese was created at Matt's snack bar, in Minneapolis, United States, in 1954. Since then, it has had different versions.
What is the best meat?
The best hamburger meat is the one that gives flavor, juiciness and structure to the burger. Cuts such as breast, rump, chuck, skirt steak, sirloin and duckling are the most used.
For a beef burger it is possible to use only one cut, but a meat blend —mixing different types— can result in a juicier burger.
The composition of the blend varies depending on the flavor you are looking for. Ideally, the burger should have 10% to 20% of fat in its composition.
What is the best chicken burger?
The best chicken burger is made with chicken breast meat, as it is larger than other cuts and easier to grind and shape.
The ideal for a perfect chicken burger is to marinate the meat in a mixture with lemon juice and seasonings, or milk and various seasonings and condiments, for example.
This way, the meat becomes more tender and has more flavor. The meat can be ground and made into burgers, or the cuts can be breaded and fried.
What is the best bread?
The best hamburger bun is soft, so that it absorbs flavors well, but with a strong enough structure to remain intact with the meat and other fillings.
Milk bread is one of the most used in hamburgers due to its soft composition, golden skin and a little crunchier than its interior.
Soft and with a slightly sweet flavor, brioche bread, a bread dough traditionally used in desserts, has gained popularity in burger restaurants in recent years.
