Week 6 – American Cuisine

So I’m sure everyone knows what a burger is given how popular it is in North America and it comes in so so many forms. You’ve got your beef burgers, turkey burgers, chicken burgers (if you’re from New Zealand or Australia) and even veggie burgers. But where did burgers even come from? Honestly, burgers seem like there are one of those things that just exist as a commonplace food in the west, so let’s talk a little bit about that! Now this is an interesting one, did you know that hamburgers might not actually be of American origin? It’s a bit like how french fries weren’t invented in the United States but actually come from Belgium. While this is still debated, hamburger-like sandwiches were common in certain regions of Germany in the 18th and 19th century, especially in Hamburg, Germany. In fact, a frikadelle, nicknamed a Hamburg steak, and a Hamburger Rundstück were both dishes coming from the 18th and 19th century respectively that could almost be thought of as predecessors of the modern hamburger. And when Germans emigrated to the United States in the 18th century, Hamburg steaks were eaten and even placed between two pieces of bread, which means they made the transition from Germany to the United States quite well! From there, vendors in the U.S. began to sell them, and the rest is well history!

But I hear you saying “this is a plant-based cooking program, not a meat-based one!”. Well, may I present the veggie burger, which was actually common across Eurasia for millennia! Many a place around the world cell veggie burgers with their own twists to them, and given how versatile regular hamburgers already are, you can imagine just how diverse veggie burgers can get! That’s why there isn’t a single correct or authentic veggie burger recipe. We’ll be presenting our own on this page, but if you don’t like our recipe there’s dozens of other ways to make a veggie burger that might strike your fancy! Although, we promise you that we make a mean veggie burger!