[Sca-cooks] Burger battle brewing between Cponnecticut and Texas

[Johnna Holloway]

Actually the two volumes came out in 2004.
It's titled  The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink.
(Why some books by Oxford are encyclopedias and others are companions
is one of those obscure and arcane questions? I think it has to do with 
driving on
the left.)
Anyway Andy Smith indicates the origins are vague.
Hamburg steak was on Delmonico's menu as early as 1834. That may be the
NYC claim. Hamburgers were sold from a lunch wagon in New Haven
by 1900, hence CT has that claim. Also claims go with accounts from
Wisconsin, St Louis World's Fair, and Texas, all dating from roughly the 
1900-1904
date.

Johnnae
i
Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius wrote:
> I'd bet money there's an entry on this in The Oxford Companion To  
> American Food And Drink, which should be seeing publication any time  
> now... Andrew Smith's been working on it for quite a while. Whether  
> it settles the question of the birthplace of the hamburger sandwich,  
> I can't say, but you'd think Connecticut and Texas would be far  
> better off proving which one is _not_ responsible for that other  
> great shared product they both claim as their own...
>
> Adamantius
>
>