The Historic Reason Ground Beef Is Sometimes Called Hamburger

A bite of hamburger history

Hamburgers, as we recognize them today—a beef patty nestled between two buns—emerged in late 19th-century America, though the precise origin remains a topic of considerable debate. In contrast, ground beef has a much older history, and it seems that burgers have their roots in a dish with a significantly different reputation that has become a restaurant classic: steak tartare. This minced beef dish traces back to Central Asia in the 13th century, during a tumultuous period marked by conflict between the Mongols and Tatars. The Tatars were known for consuming raw minced mutton, and to this day, raw minced meat dishes are named tartare in their honor.

The popularity of tartare spread to the Baltic Sea, where German merchants encountered it and brought it back to their main port city, Hamburg. The locals embraced minced beef, but with one notable alteration—they began cooking it. By the mid-1700s, English cookbooks began referencing Hamburg sausage.

The 1800s witnessed a significant influx of German immigrants to the United States, who introduced the Hamburg style of beef. One of the dish's early proponents was physician James H. Salisbury, who lent his name to the Americanized version known as Salisbury steak (distinct from meatloaf). However, many restaurants simply labeled it as Hamburg steak. The Germans, on the other hand, referred to ground beef patties as frikadellen.

There is a legal distinction between ground beef and hamburger

It was only logical for the terms ground beef and hamburger to become interchangeable, as there was no distinction between them for many years. However, that is no longer true, as the USDA now defines ground beef and hamburger differently. The difference is subtle, though. Both terms refer to ground beef trimmings and, according to federal regulations, must contain no more than 30% fat. The key difference lies in the type of fat used.

For a product to be classified as ground beef, it can only include the fat that is naturally present in the beef trimmings. In contrast, hamburger meat has a different standard. Producers are permitted to enhance the fat content by adding pure beef fat to the mixture. Since fat contributes both flavor and moisture, a manufacturer using particularly lean beef may choose to add extra fat, increasing the percentage. If they do this, the product would then be labeled as hamburger.