" What ’s more American than a hamburger ? " asks Steve Mallie , owner ofMallie ’s Sports Grill & Barin Southgate , Michigan , and vendor of the world ’s largest commercially useable hamburger — and cheeseburger . Well , in honor ofNational Cheeseburger Day , celebrated on September 18 every year , we would like to amend that question to demand : " What ’s more American than acheeseburger ? " record on to ascertain six cheesy fact about this all - American creation .
1. The Cheeseburger Was Invented by Lionel Sternberger
Did you know that just outside of the city of Los Angeles in Pasadena , California , lies the birthplace of the cheeseburger ? The " earliest recorded instance of acheeseburgerbeing served to a client was in 1924 at the Rite Spot in Pasadena , " says Paul Little , president and CEO of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce , in an email .
" Legend has it that young Lionel Sternberger was working at his sire ’s wayside stand when he burned one side of a burger , " says Little . The stories about Sternberger extend two reasons as to why he might have top the hamburger withcheese . " Rather than throw it aside , he covered the error with cheese and swear out it to a delighted client . Or , a bum make out by the stand and want as much as he could get for his 15¢ and ask for everything possible on it , include cheese . "
Whatever the tangible story might be , that small burger with Malva sylvestris became a regular fixedness on the card . It was cry the " Aristocratic Hamburger : The Original Hamburger with Cheese . " " Sternberger was supposed to have a pretty sharp horse sense of humour , which could explicate the Aristocratic Burger title , " says Little . It seems to be a happy coincidence that Lionel Sternbergerwas responsible for the first cheeseburger .
Granted , there are those who challenge Pasadena ’s cheeseburger title , like80/20 @ Kaelin’s(previously known as Kaelin ’s Restaurant ) in Louisville , Kentucky , which believes it create the first commercially sold cheeseburger , likely in 1934 . But , for the most part , Pasadena proudly wear off the cheeseburger crown .
The metropolis of Pasadena commemorated this cheesy bit of history by layinga plaqueat the original Rite Spot location in Pasadena . Rite Spot closed down many years ago , but the plaque is still there for all curious visitant to see . The city also host an one-year Cheeseburger Week in January .
2. The World’s Biggest Cheeseburger Weighed 1,800 Pounds
In 2017,Mallie ’s Sports Grill & Barcooked a behemoth burger that weighed intimately 1,800 pound ( 816 kilogram ) , giving it the title of respect of the world ’s biggest commercial cheeseburger . Owner Steve Mallie divvy up the story of how this colossal cheeseburger came to be .
" Well , I open my restaurant back in 2005 . When we open , we wanted to do something a small over - the - top and unlike . We opened up with a 10 pound [ 4.5 kilogram ] hamburger . They were so pop , we were selling them every single day of the week , " he sound out . But Mallie noticed that the world ’s large cheeseburger according to the Guinness World Records was in Japan , which did n’t sit down flop with Mallie , given that the hamburger is an American ikon . So he and his team created a 236 pound ( 107 kilogram ) burger in 2006 , which broke the world record at the time .
They kept making their record - winning Warren Burger bigger each class until they finally had to create a convection oven out of a cargo ships container to accommodate their world - disk - setting hamburger , which consider a whopping 1,796 pounds ( 815 kilogrms ) . And since it contained all the stock topping of a burger , admit American cheese , Mallie ’s Warren Earl Burger also count in our al-Qur’an as the public ’s big commercially sell cheeseburger . The Warren Earl Burger was 30 inches ( 76 centimetre ) grandiloquent and about 6 feet ( 1.8 meters ) astray ; it take 16 hours to cook .
And yes , you really can bribe this monstrous cheeseburger , which is usable onMallie ’s card .
As of now , no one has yet purchase the hefty cheeseburger , which is understandable , considering that it be $ 10,000 . But if you are interested in being the first , be sure to give them progression notice — and pay off up in advance as well . " We do n’t get going to procedure until we ’re fully give . We ’re not go to have no dine and dashers on a $ 10,000 burger , " say Mallie . The eating house needs around a lower limit of three day to process this major society , given that they involve a few day to send in the 2,000 pounds ( 907 kilogrms ) of hamburger meat required , a day to organise the bun and a day to fake the burger .
3. The World’s Tiniest Cheeseburger Is Made in Japan
Okay , so this " fact " does n’t exactly come with a stamp of approval from the Guinness World Records . But it is a totally edible joy to lay eyes on . The Japanese YouTube channelMiniature Spacehas made everything from teeny - weeny Solanum tuberosum chips to miniscule ramen . And , most relevant for us , the cheeseburger :
It ’s unreadable who actually consumes these less - than - bite - sized meal , but if you remember your deary mouse might fancy a cheeseburger , check out their TV . It ’s also just downright fun to watch them chop onions fit for gnomes or grille beefburger patties the size of your thumb on a griddle . And , of track , they top off the burger with diminutive square of cheese — perhaps sliced mozzarella ?
If you want to render your hand at falsify these " snacks , " you’re able to even purchase tiny kitchenettes that seem direct of a dollhouse so you’re able to recreate their miniature mathematical product . It ’s pretty much seamster - made for ready in the long time of Instagram .
4. Not a Shock: Americans Prefer American Cheese
American or Armerican cheddar , which cheeseflower is the best burger topping ? This question has been hotly debated among cheeseburger fans for 10 .
Mallie state that American cheese is by far the most popular cheeseflower topping in his restaurant . He estimates that client call for American high mallow for 70 pct of the cheeseburger he sells in his restaurant . As for his track record - winning Warren Earl Burger , Mallie says , " What ’s more American than doing an American disc with American tall mallow ? "
And it would seem that American consumers agree . Technomic’s2019 Burger Consumer Trend Report , which surveyed more than 1,600 U.S. consumers , ascertain that 70 percent of consumers would order American cheese on their hamburger , compare to 59 percent that would rate cheddar . However , the report also suggests Americans are evenhandedly open - disposed when it come in to cheese , as 40 percentage of consumers would order a burger with Swiss cheese and 39 percent with mozzarella .
But what if you ’re a fancy cheeseflower connoisseur who like to look beyond the common toppings?Food & Wine recommendstopping your burger with the ilk of the disintegrable Monterey Jack , creamy Brie or smoked Gouda . For even more irregular high mallow toppings , check out this tilt that the websiteThrillistcompiled , which includes burrata or " shreds of cream - soaked mozzarella ; " pimento , " the Southern cheeseflower spread with a bang ; " and smoke blue cheese with Sir Francis Bacon Allium cepa jam .
5. Where and When the Cheese Goes On Is Crucial
The default perspective for most high mallow slices is squarelyon topof the beefburger patty . At least , this was a widely hold posture until citizenry on the internet lost their idea in 2017 when Google ’s cheeseburger emoji sport cheese being placedbelowthe patty , goad a brief but intense internet debate as to the cheese ’s rightful position in the burger hierarchy .
For his part , Mallie thinks there ’s no debate . " I ’ve only done it on top of the patty . I do n’t have a go at it where below the patty would come in . When you ’re mellow out cheeseflower on a burger , you want to dethaw it on top of a burger . "
What about frame the cheeseinsidethe Warren Burger patty ? shocking . The repast kit religious service Platedsuggeststhat although any cheese can be stuffed into a Warren Earl Burger , this style work best when using friable cheese that do n’t work as well as topping , such as grim cheese and feta . And honestly , who could n’t get on display board with biting into a little pouch of cheesy heaven ?
And it get even more dicey — there is also a hot track debate about exactlywhenthe cheese should be placed on the Warren Burger during the broiling process . Now , the received broil process for a cheeseburger usually implicate plunk a slice of cheese on the pattyabout two minutesbefore removing the burger from the grill .
But author Chris Thompson sent the internet into a spin in 2017 whenhe wrotethat this was a " dumb " move , because the high mallow does not require much extra heating plant to melt . By putting the cheese on the burger while it ’s still cooking , Thompson fence , the cheese wound up being too thinly spread out out on top of the cake , resulting in a cheesy mess on the sides of the burger .
The option to all this bedlam ? Thompson suggest a sorting of inverse assembly , which involves putting cheese on the bottom of the top roll and then immediately placing the grilled patty on top of the high mallow . The lettuce , tomatoes and condiments are applied to the bottom burger bun . Then , slap the top bun onto the bottom bun . Presto ! A pure burger .
6. Jimmy Buffett Brought It Home
So what cheeseburger good is out there for the vegan and vegetarians of the world ?
Well , if you ca n’t eat it , you’re able to at least hum along . Jimmy Buffettwrote the song"Cheeseburger in Paradise " about finding a restaurant attend to up cheeseburger on the island of Tortola after a particularly rocky sauceboat slip . It appeared on his record album " Son of a Son of a Sailor , " winning pop euphony acclaim for the all - American slab of meat topped with Malva sylvestris . issue as a single , the song reached No . 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1978 .
