Unwrap the delicious world of cheeseburgers! From its humble beginnings to its iconic status in global cuisine, we're diving into six savory facts that will make your next bite of this classic comfort food even more enjoyable.
National Cheeseburger Day
The earliest recorded instance of a cheeseburger was served in 1924 at the Rite Spot in Pasadena, California.
- Legend has it that Lionel Sternberger, a young man, covered a burned side of a burger with cheese and served it to a customer, earning him the nickname “The Aristocratic Hamburger.”
- Pasadena commemorated this cheesy bit of history by laying a plaque commemorating the burger.
World’s Biggest Cheeseburger
In 2017, Mallie’s Sports Grill & Bar cooked a behemoth burger that weighed nearly 1,800 pounds (816 kilograms), giving it the title of the world’s biggest commercial cheeseburger.
- The burger was 30 inches (76 centimeters) tall and about 6 feet (1.8 meters) wide; it took 16 hours to cook.
Jimmy Buffett Brought It Home
Jimmy Buffett wrote the song “Cheeseburger in Paradise” about finding a restaurant serving up cheeseburgers on the island of Tortola after a particularly rough boat trip
- Released as a single, the song reached No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1978
- With the rise of plant-based burgers like the Impossible Burger, could we soon see a future without dairy-based cheese on our burgers?
The World’s Tiniest Cheeseburger Is Made in Japan
The Japanese YouTube channel Miniature Space has made everything from teeny-weeny potato chips to miniscule ramen.
- It’s unclear who actually consumes these less-than-bite-sized meals, but they are a totally edible delight to behold.
FAQ
The earliest iteration of a hamburger was the Hamburg steak – a mix of minced beef from German Hamburg cows, garlic, onions, salt, and pepper formed into a patty.
Americans Prefer American Cheese
70 percent of consumers would order American cheese on their burger, compared to 59 percent that would order cheddar.
- However, Americans are fairly open-minded when it comes to cheese, as 40% would order a burger with Swiss cheese and 39% with mozzarella.
Where and When the Cheese Goes On Is Crucial
The default position for most cheese slices is squarely on top of the burger patty.
- This was a widely held position until Google’s cheeseburger emoji featured cheese being placed below the patty, spurring a brief but intense internet debate as to the cheese’s rightful place in the burger hierarchy
- There is a debate about exactly when the cheese should be placed on the burger during the grilling process.
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