H is for... Hamburger: Where does the hamburger actually get its name from?

When faced with this question, the first thing that probably comes to mind for a German city dweller is their hometown of Hamburg, and that might not be entirely wrong. Numerous theories suggest that Hamburg is the birthplace of the hamburger. Meatball sandwiches and the "Rundstück" (a round roll with roast meat inside) have long been popular there, and one theory posits that the hamburger arrived in the USA with German immigrants. This theory is further supported by the fact that a "Hamburger-style hamburger" recipe can be found in American cookbooks. However, there isn't only a city called Hamburg in Germany; there's also a city in the US state of New York near Buffalo that bears this name. And, of course, there's a legend about the origin of the hamburger in this American Hamburg as well. The story goes that there was a food stall at the local fair in the American Hamburg. It was run by two brothers and was so successful that they ran out of roast pork for their sandwiches. But instead of closing their stand, the brothers turned necessity into a virtue and experimented with beef: BAM! The hamburger was born. Sounds unlikely, and it probably is. These are just a few of the origin myths surrounding the popular beef bun. But even if the true origin of the hamburger will probably never be fully clarified, you can still take a bite, of course! One last tip: If you order a hamburger in America, make sure you get what you expect, because a 'hamburger' can refer to both the bun and meat combination and the ground beef patty itself.