By Nathaniel Nuckols
Everyone knows what a burger is. It's a meat patty mashed between two pieces of bread. No one is sure who pioneered the first burger, but it has been consumed all over the world in many different cultures. It has most notably been used in The United States and has become a staple of the American diet. The burger has become popular through it's simple construction and availability to be eaten on the go with little preparation. The burger has been monopolized by many different companies and is an iconic part of the fast food industry. The first company to offer burgers as the main part of their menu was the White Castle restaurant chain in the 1920's and the idea was later improved upon by McDonald's in the 1940's.
The Burger consists of two main ingredients: meat (beef, turkey, ham, venison) and bread. There have been many other additions to the burger throughout the years including ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Many different condiments and other additions can be used to enhance or add more flavor to the burger. This combination of many different aspects to the burger has regionalized the burger in a way that allows different regions and different cultures to make their own take on the classic burger using ingredients local to their region.
The prevalence of burgers in the United States is attributed to the increased ability to produce beef through the abundant use of livestock. By the late 19th century an increasing amount of land was devoted to raising cattle and harvesting their meat which led to the United States being the largest producer and consumer of beef. Beef was already an inexpensive resource and was available to the middle-class which led to it's rising popularity. This allowed the burger to reach it's peak popularity with the majority of the American people.
The modern burger was developed in The United States but by the end of World War II, around the middle of the 20th Century it began to spread to other countries along with the fast food industry. The main cause for this globalization of fast food was the success of large restaurant chains like McDonald's. Their desire to expand their business and increase net profit drove them to expand into other countries and offer their services. McDonald's was the very first fast food company to expand from The United States into other countries, but it was not the only one. Many different fast food companies spread across the globe spreading and popularizing the burger tremendously.
Today most people know what a burger is. They know what it taste like, they know where to get one, and they know how to make one. Burgers are known globally as an easy to assemble and easy to eat food. They've become the iconic American food and have been adopted by many other countries, cultures, and regional people. They've been traditional food for Americans for over a century. Now go eat a burger.
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