Defining Terms – What is a Hamburger?

Recently, on a post to Hoosier Burger Boy I reviewed a burger from Bistro Vida. The burger was prepared by adding onions, parsely and garlic into the meat prior to cooking. A person commented that it was not a hamburger, but a “meat loaf” burger. I guess he might have a point. In his book, “The Hamburger”, Josh Ozersky defines a hamburger as “ground beef patty served on a white enriched bun”.

I like this definition and will adhere to it for a reviewing a hamburger. But remember, the site is called Hoosier Burger Boy, not Hoosier Hamburger Boy. I still wish to review other burgers, even if they aren’t pure “hamburgers”. These could include gourmet burgers, like Bix great concoction, with truffles mixed in. Or the Vida Burger mentioned above. I will place these in my gourmet burger ratings, instead of the top 10 Hamburger ratings. I might even review the occasional turkey burger or fish burger if it seems novel or interesting. But I will try not to call them hamburgers.

Also, my top 10 burgers will tend to come from burger joints, whose main purpose is serving burgers. There are some fine restaurants like Zuni Café and Oak City Bar & Grill that have fine burgers, but that really isn’t their main mission. I will put these in the gourmet burger section as well.

SK