[Sca-cooks] Burger battle

[Terry Decker]

> Johnna Holloway  wrote:
>> . . . 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 1900S. . .
>>
>>
> According to Benavides-Barajas the recipe for hamburger originated in
> Persia and was brought to Al-Andalus by the Arabs. It was a popular dish
> in the Alhambra flavored with onion and honey and decorated with chopped
> walnuts or apple and served with honey.
> Susan

It might equally be argued that the recipe for hamburger originates in the 
recipes for isicia from the Roman Empire.  Your description, for example, 
has a number of points in common with Isicia omentata (which can be patties 
or meatballs depending on the translation).

Forcemeat recipes are fairly common.  Without a clear linguistic 
relationship to the name or a probable lineage of recipes, it's only a guess 
as to whether the hamburger was based on long tradition or an idea of the 
moment.

Bear