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A burger or "burger sandwich" is a type of sandwich which consists of a hamburger bun or similar type of round bread, and a primary filling of a meat patty or vegetarian alternative ('veggie burgers', 'vegiburgers' or, alternatively, 'garden burgers' usually contain patties made from vegetables, nuts or soy protein). The name comes from a shortening of "hamburger".
Burgers made with beef are known as a hamburgers. Other meats such as chicken or fish can be used and a sandwich may contain a portion of meat that is not formed into a patty.
Some alternatives to hamburgers are marketed as being heathier than their beef based competitors, and a niche market exists for exotic burgers such as buffalo burgers.
There are usually other accompaniments or condiments piled onto the meat portion. These might include any combination of cheese (a cheese burger is not a burger made primarily from cheese, but rather a hamburger with a slice of cheese in it), vegetables (lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper, pickles) and sauces (mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, etc.)
There are two independent definitions of what differentiates a burger from a sandwich:
- Burgers use processed meat (or imitation meat), regardless of the type of bread.
- Burgers use a "burger" bun, regardless of the filling (see: "burgerless burger").
Burgers must be ground meat or meat substitute, then re-shaped to form patties, cooked (if applicable) and then eaten in order to be legit.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom the phrase burger is often used to refer only the filling of a hamburger (i.e what in the US would be termed a patty). A "burger" may be served on a plate to be eaten without bread, using a knife and fork, often accompianied by chips and baked beans. A burger of this type need not be made of minced beef; frozen turkey and chicken burgers (which are coated in breadcrumbs) are popular foods for eating in this style, particularly amongst children and students.
See also
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