268. Hamburger History

There are several versions of the History of the Hamburger; I've just chosen my favourite.

MEME EXPRESS came up with a good prompt again!

HAMBURGER HISTORY

I always thought that, in Germany, the people went about

Eating Hamburgers by the tonne. There wasn't any doubt!

After all, Hamburg's in Germany as everybody knows.

That would be the source of it, wouldn't you suppose?

But the Hamburger doesn't come from there, no, my friends, no way.

The Hamburger's creators lived in the U.S.A.!

The Erie County Fair is held in Hamburg, every year,

(That town being named by an immigrant, or so it would appear.)

It was in 1885 that Hamburgers evolved.

(Read this poem and you'll find one more mystery solved!)

The Menches Brothers, Frank and Charles, made patties for the fair,

And they were very popular with visitors that were there.

The patties were made of sausage-meat and people wolfed them down,

Saying the patties were quite the best in all of Hamburg town.

Alas, one day they ran out of pork to make their sausage-meat,

And all the people shouted out 'What are we going to eat!'

They begged the butcher to kill more hogs but the weather was very hot,

And the butcher thought it most unwise and said 'I'd better not.

Why not use beef?' he asked them, 'It's safer in the heat,

Your customers won't turn a hair when the food is good to eat.'

So the brothers changed to mincing beef at their famous patty stand,

But the people turned their noses up and said 'They're much too bland.'

Now this is the amazing part......they added to the mix

Coffee and Brown Sugar, as a casual quick-fix!

And everybody loved the patties yelling 'Give us more!'

We love your 'Hamburg Sandwiches' ! They're better than before'.

In due course the name was shortened to the name we use today

And the idea of coffee and sugar was given right away.

But next time you are wondering why Hamburgers have no ham,

Remember this information.

(What a clever girl I am!)