National Hamburger Day, May 28

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From National Day:
National Hamburger Day is observed each year on May 28. This day celebrates a summer-time grilling favorite and National Hamburger Day is part of National Hamburger Month.

Hamburger. Seasoned ground beef, grilled and placed between two slices of bread or a bun. Top with sautéed onions, peppers, pickles, sliced onions, or cheese. Add condiments such as ketchup, mustard or mayo. Any one of these combinations would create a modern American version a hamburger.

It is most likely that the hamburger sandwich first appeared in the 19th or early 20th centuries, but there is much controversy over its origin. Over the years, the hamburger has become a culinary icon in the United States.

The world’s largest hamburger was prepared on September 2, 2012, in Carlton, Minnesota by Black Bear Casino Resort and weighed in at 2,014 pounds.
But today, burgers are made of ground turkey, ground bison, ground tofu, or other plant-based food. Condiments have expanded to include: bacon, avocado, salsa, sriracha, and fried eggs. Fast forward to today, annual consumption of burgers of all kinds in the U.S. is 50 billion!! That would circle the earth 32 times, or 800,000 miles of burgers. Yet world beef consumption is higher, per capita in Uruguay at 124 pounds, with the U.S. fourth at 79.3 pounds per person. The average American consumes 30 pounds of hamburgers per year. My personal consumption is about one per month, most of which take place at In N Out Burger, a California based chain that emphasizes freshness first. White Castle is the oldest burger chain in the U.S., having started in 1921. McDonalds sells 75 burgers per minute, around the clock! That is almost $40 billion per year in sales. But I am concerned about the BEST burger, not the most. Perhaps the best burger we ever ate was at the El Tovar dining room at the Grand Canyon. I can only tell you it was heavenly, perfectly cooked to medium rare, with a tasty sweet bun, and a minimum of condiments. Locally, we enjoy the burgers at House of Juju in downtown Clovis. A strong second is the burger at Colton's Social House. And when we are on the road, In N Out Burger is our "go to" burger place. I am certain each of you have a favorite. If we ever get back to the El Tovar, I will order the burger!!

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