History of the Hamburger: A Timeline

Few phrases in the English language are more tantalizing than “Let's have a burger.

Americans love hamburgers more than just about any other food, eating 50 billion of them per year and fueling an industry that, according to Statista, is worth over $100 billion annually. How did the humble burger, made of cooked ground beef served on a bun, often with other condiments and toppings, sometimes with cheese, become so popular?

“Americans deep down know that it's their food," says noted burger scholar, author, and media personality George Motz. “It's one of the only true American food inventions. All those different foodways, like the hot dog, croissant, spaghetti, and pizza, are from other places in the world. The hamburger is inherently American."

It's an interesting assertion, given that the history of the hamburger traces back centuries, if not millennia, to other parts of the world — depending on the source. Motz, whose fourth season of Burger Scholar Sessions is airing on Complex Media, attributes the hamburger's origins to state fairs of the late 1800s. He says that today's fascination with it continues thanks to upscale versions served by creative chefs and the rise of what he calls the “better burger category," with more upscale chains like Five Guys, Smashburger, and Shake Shack.

The truth about the burger's origins is certainly cloudy. Better acquaint yourself with its many key points in its history with the timeline below.

A (somewhat) brief history of the hamburger