A burger takes its name from Hamburg, Germany, and originally referred to someone or something from that city, rather than containing any ham.
German immigrants brought the Hamburg steak to the United States in the 1800s, where restaurants began to feature it on menus as a “Hamburg-style beef sandwich.”
Burgers have roots in both countries: the meat patty is German, while Americans created the portable sandwich with a bun and condiments. Over time, people dropped the “Ham-” prefix, shortening “hamburger” down to just “burger,” which led to new creations like the cheeseburger, veggie burger, and chicken burger.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a sandwich as any meat or poultry filling placed between two slices of bread, a bun, or a biscuit. By this rule, a burger legally qualifies as a sandwich. Most food experts and legal arguments agree: all burgers are sandwiches, but not all sandwiches are burgers.
Even though a burger fits the technical rules of a sandwich, people separate the two based on a few key traits. A traditional burger relies on a formed, cooked patty of ground or minced meat (like beef, chicken, or plant-based substitutes).
A standard sandwich usually features sliced deli meats, whole muscle cuts (like a fried chicken breast), or cheese layered between flat bread. Restaurants, menus, and everyday speech treat burgers as their own distinct category rather than calling them sandwiches.
The modern hamburger spread rapidly through American diners, fairs (like the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair), and fast-food chains like White Castle and McDonald’s, turning it into an American cultural symbol.
The United States consumes the most hamburgers in the world, with Americans eating about 50 billion burgers annually, which works out to roughly three burgers per person every week. Australia and Canada follow closely behind in per capita consumption, with Australians averaging around 120 burgers per person each year.
