The hamburger most likely first appeared in the 19th or early 20th century.The modern hamburger was a product of the culinary needs of a society rapidly changing due to industrialization and therefore having less time to prepare and consume meals.
Americans contend they were the first to combine two slices of bread and a steak of ground beef into a "hamburger sandwich" and sell it. Part of the controversy over the origin of the hamburger is because the two basic ingredients, bread and beef, were prepared and consumed separately for many years before their combination. Shortly after its creation, the hamburger was prepared with all of the now typically characteristic trimmings, including onions, lettuce, and sliced pickles.
After various controversies in the 20th century, including a nutritional controversy in the late 1990s, the burger is now readily identified with the United States, and a particular style of cuisine, namely fast food.Along with fried chicken and apple pie, the hamburger has become a culinary icon in the United States.