Hamburger facts for kids

A hamburger sandwich.

Kid eating a veggie burger

A hamburger is a type of sandwich with cooked ground meat between the two halves of a bun. Tomatoes, onions, cheese, salad and dips may also be added. The hamburger may be eaten without a knife and fork, so it is a fast food which can be eaten anywhere.

Hamburgers are named for a city in Germany called Hamburg. They were probably invented in Germany, though what we now know as a hamburger was created in the United States in the 19th century. Hamburgers appeared on menus in England and the United States in the 19th century, and became a popular food after the 1904 World's Fair. What is called a hamburger throughout the world today was different than the first German hamburgers; German dishes often involved a steak or sausage between pieces of bread instead of ground meat.

Many fast food restaurants, such as Burger King, Wendy's and McDonald's, serve hamburgers.

A cheeseburger is a hamburger that also has cheese. Hamburgers can be served with other things besides cheese, such as chili.

Images for kids

• 

  Hamburg steak has been known as "Frikadelle" in Germany since the 17th century.

• 

  The "Hamburger Rundstück" was popular already in 1869, and is believed to be a precursor to the modern Hamburger.

• 

  Cheeseburger (with onions and tomatoes) at Louis' Lunch, New Haven, Connecticut

• 

  A bacon cheeseburger, from a New York City diner

• 

  McDonald's Big Mac

• 

  Hamburger preparation in a fast food establishment

• 

  A hamburger with fries bought as take-away, with the hamburger and the fries in separate containers.

• 

  Hamburger in red bun served with fries in Zagreb, Croatia.

• 

  Some hamburgers have a black bun, usually coloured with squid ink.

• 

  The vegan Impossible Burger

• 

  A steak burger with cheese and onion rings

• 

  A Burger King bacon and cheese steak burger

• 

  A hamburger served in New York with arugula on a ciabatta roll

• 

  This hamburger in a fast food restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand contains beetroot for flavor.

• 

  Roujiamo, the "Chinese hamburger"

• 

  MOS Burger rice burger

• 

  The modern Danish bøfsandwich

• 

  A Finnish burger of the Hesburger restaurant

• 

  Korean-style bulgogi burger

• 

  Chicken burger with rice bun (sold in Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore). Note that the "bun" is composed of cooked rice

• 

  Vada pav or "Indian Burger" is made of potatoes and spices.

• 

  Beef burger with fried egg, cabbage and some french fries in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

See also

In Spanish: Hamburguesa para niños