“Unveiling the Sizzle: 3 Mind-Blowing Burger Facts from a Culinary Expert!”

Is there any cuisine more intricately linked with American food culture than the hamburger? Even though the prevalent sandwich ironically originated from minced steaks of Hamburg, Germany — brought to the U.S. by immigrants — it has now become one of the most beloved dishes in the nation, often regarded as part of our cultural identity.

Historian and chef-owner of the renowned establishment Hamburger America in New York City, George Motz, has dedicated his life to exploring, documenting, and sharing the distinctive history of burgers in the U.S. (He has even authored an extensive book about regional burgers across the states, Hamburger America: A State-by-State Guide to 200 Great Burger Joints, and produced a 2004 documentary also named Hamburger America.)

As a burger expert and someone whose life revolves around this simple sandwich, Motz possesses a wealth of intriguing insights that you might not be aware of — and he recently revealed several on an episode of The Splendid Table, the food and culture podcast hosted by cookbook editor and culinary writer Francis Lam.

Share these burger insights the next time you aim to astonish someone at a gathering, or simply keep them close to your heart and enjoy a more profound appreciation of America’s most iconic sandwich.

The first topping on a burger was probably onions

We are aware that early forms of the American hamburger originated in the late 1800s, yet much of its definitive history remains debated. Several individuals claim to have invented the burger — including Fletcher Davis in Athens, Texas; Charlie Nagreen in Seymour, Wisconsin; and Oscar Weber Bilby in Tulsa, Oklahoma — each presenting their own narrative and slightly different version of the recipe. Therefore, it’s challenging to ascertain exactly what the very first burger looked like, but according to Motz, “the very first topping on a hamburger was probably onion.” (He also mentioned that onions, pickles, and mustard were the initial three toppings for burgers.)

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Given that the precursor of the hamburger is the “Hamburg steak” (the minced beef dish that Germans introduced to the United States), which commonly included onions, it stands to reason that this allium was also the primary component used to enhance flavor in burgers. However, this raises an additional question: Can an onion be classified as a topping?

There are more local burgers in the United States than you might think

You’re likely acquainted with many eateries’ distinctive variations of the hamburger. Nowadays, it seems that everyone is eager to create a totally novel version of the dish, from sandwiching it between glazed doughnuts to incorporating fried bananas and peanut butter.

However, when I refer to a local burger, I don’t mean new creations; instead, I am discussing long-established burger styles with deep histories tied to particular locales. Consider it akin to Italy, where distinct regions have their own signature pasta traditions.

Related: 5 Surprising Facts You Should Know About Cheese, According to an Expert

This variety of burger customs is precisely where Motz’s expertise shines — it’s the essence of his book and documentary, and his New York establishment Hamburger America showcases some of his favorite hamburger varieties. When Lam inquires about these [local] burgers on The Splendid Table, Motz articulates that, “There are hundreds and hundreds of [them], thousands… I mean, there’s so many of them. To me, the local burger in America is everywhere.”

If you dine at Hamburger America, you’ll consistently find “George Motz’s Fried Onion Burger” on the menu, which, despite its title, is a rendition of the traditional Oklahoma onion burger. Originating in the 1920s as a strategy to use less beef (a pricier ingredient) per sandwich, the burger is topped with a mound of thinly sliced, griddled onions. Another local specialty he mentions to Lam — and one that hasn’t spread quite as widely as the Oklahoma onion burger — is the olive burger from central and western Michigan. The burger expert elaborates that this delicacy is named after its distinctive sauce, made from “chopped green olives, mayonnaise, and a pinch of olive brine,” with a touch of sugar for added sweetness.

Smashburgers were the original burger technique

It may be tempting to regard smash burgers as a contemporary method — after all, they’ve surged in popularity over the last ten years, thanks to social media and chains like Shake Shack. Nonetheless, Motz points out that “the smash burger technique predates pre-formed patties… by 50, 60 years.”

The initial burgers were made by shaping balls of ground beef and then compressing them, or smashing, once placed on the pan. This practice allowed cooks to easily produce uniformly sized burgers by comparing the balls of ground beef, making it logical. Motz notes, “If you go back to the 1880s when they were smashing small portions of beef in skillets at state fairs or elsewhere, it was merely done for efficiency. They realized if a thick burger takes 10 minutes to cook and a smash burger takes two, why should I spend that extra eight minutes?”

The significance of smash burgers in the sandwich’s history is part of what makes Motz so fond of this style. There’s a certain reverence in upholding tradition, and a smash burger will always be featured on the menu at Hamburger America.

Read the original article on Food & Wine