Cheeseburger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cheeseburger | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| A typical cheeseburger | |
| Origin information | |
| Country of origin : | United States |
| Dish information | |
| Course served : | Main Course |
| Serving temperature : | Hot |
| Main ingredient(s) : | Ground Beef, Cheese, Bread |
A cheeseburger is a hamburger accompanied with melted cheese. The term itself is a portmanteau of the words "cheese" and "hamburger." The cheese is usually sliced, then added a short time before the hamburger finishes cooking to allow it to melt. In the United States, the cheese that is added to a cheeseburger is typically American cheese, but there are many other variations. Mozzarella, blue cheese, pepper jack, and cheddar are also popular choices.
The cheese in a cheeseburger substantially changes its nutritional value. For example, in comparison to their standard hamburger, which only differs by the slice of cheese, a McDonald's cheeseburger has 20% more calories, 33% more fat and 25% more protein.[1] Other types of cheese would have varying effects, depending on their nutritional content.
Contents |
[edit] History
Between 1924 and 1926, Lionel Sternberger grilled the first cheeseburger in Pasadena, California. The name of the restaurant and the precise year has been debated by cheeseburger enthusiasts.[2] When Sternberger died in 1964, Time magazine noted in its February 7 issue that:
| “ | …at the hungry age of 16, [Sternberger] experimentally dropped a slab of American cheese on a sizzling hamburger while helping out at his father's sandwich shop in Pasadena, thereby inventing the cheeseburger…[3] | ” |
Cheeseburgers appear to have been invented independently in different regions. For example, Kaelin's Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky claims to have invented the cheeseburger in 1934.[4] One year later, a trademark for the name "cheeseburger" was awarded to Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver, Colorado.[5]
[edit] Variations
A cheeseburger can be served with a variety of toppings such as pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, fried egg, mushrooms, or bacon slices. Typical condiments used include mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, relish, and thousand island dressing.
A Jucy Lucy is a type of cheeseburger, developed and popularized in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the cheese is placed inside the raw meat and then cooked until it melts.
There are also multi-patty cheeseburgers, with the name changing in correspondence to the number of patties used. For example, a double cheesburger has two patties, and a triple cheesburger has three. Multiples beyond three are rare and generally not available in restaurants.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ McDonald's USA Nutrition Facts for Popular Menu Items
- ^ "Who Invented Hamburger Sandwich? And What About the Cheeseburger?", Metropolitan News-Enterprise, January 2, 2004, <http://www.metnews.com/articles/2004/reminiscing010804.htm>. Retrieved on 1 May 2008
- ^ "Lionel Clark Sternberger Obituary", Time, February 7, 1964, <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,870712,00.html>. Retrieved on 18 May 2007
- ^ "Louisville Facts & Firsts - LouisvilleKy.gov". City of Louisville, Kentucky. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.
- ^ History of the Cheeseburger Retrieved on 2 October 2008.
