International Burger Day: Celebrating a Worldwide Favorite

The burger is one of the most famous dishes worldwide, beloved by millions. It can be customized and prepared specifically for the person eating it, according to their taste and preferences. In a strange way, the burger resembles an edible work of art: a perfectly shaped circular patty of tender beef (or chicken), topped with fresh and delicious salad, drenched in distinctive sauces, all between two crispy buns, forming a perfect peak in every sense of the word. Due to the burger's overwhelming popularity in countries around the world as a versatile global food, people gather around it from all directions. Many celebrate today, May 28, as International Burger Day, honoring these irresistible sandwiches.

Why is International Burger Day celebrated on May 28?

The burger gained wide popularity in the United States before spreading all over the world.

There is much debate about the origin of the modern burger, but it is believed to have first appeared in the 19th or early 20th century. According to nationaldayarchives.com, this celebration commemorates a day in 1885 when Louis Lassen, a restaurant worker in New Haven, New York, prepared a dish at the special request of a customer who wanted a simple and quick meal. The chef’s idea was to combine meat, bread, tomato, lettuce, and cheese into a complete meal that combined protein and other nutrients, thus creating the first burger in history. Using the basic ingredients of a meat sandwich, Lassen invented what we now know as the burger. It gained widespread popularity in the United States and soon became available in fast food restaurants across the country. In the early 20th century, it was also sold in street carts and fairs, becoming over time one of the most important icons of American culture.

Facts about the Burger

• The burger is one of the most popular dishes worldwide.

• Some say the origins of the burger go back to the Roman Empire, where a similar dish was served; others say it originated in Hamburg, Germany, from which the term "hamburger" is derived. There are also claims that the roots of the burger go back to a Chinese dish from 1045.

• Minced meat was traditionally served in Hamburg, Germany (Hamburg steaks), a type of minced beef popular in the 19th century. The burger is believed to have been invented in 1881.

• German immigrants brought the burger recipe to the United States in the 19th century, where it evolved into the modern burger we know today.

• During World War I, burgers were called “liberty sandwiches” to distinguish them from German hamburgers.

• The first restaurant specializing in burgers was founded in 1921 in the United States. It became famous for serving small square-shaped burgers called "sliders."

• The record for the most burgers eaten in three minutes is 12, achieved by Takeru Kobayashi from Japan in 2014.

• The cheeseburger is said to have been invented in the 1920s, often credited to Lionel Sternberger, who added cheese to the burger at his father’s sandwich shop in Pasadena, California. However, other sources claim the cheeseburger was invented in 1934 at Kaelin’s restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky.

• Interestingly, chicken burgers first appeared in the early 1940s.

• Some chefs push the boundaries by adding unusual toppings like peanut butter and jelly.

• In Iceland, burgers are sometimes made with puffin meat, highlighting the burger's diversity as a culinary art.

• Vegetarian burgers, made from ingredients like black beans, mushrooms, and vegetables, have gained wide popularity as a meat-free alternative to traditional burgers. Their rise is partly due to plant-based meats like soy, pea, and lentil proteins, which mimic the texture and taste of meat.

• In Japan, Burger Day celebrations often include unique twists on the classic dish, such as rice buns.

• In the United Kingdom, gourmet burger festivals showcase creative additions, from venison patties to gold leaf toppings, demonstrating the burger’s adaptability to different cultures.

• The world’s largest burger weighed 2,566 pounds (approximately 1,164 kilograms) and was made in Pilsting, Germany, on July 9, 2017.