This cache is part of a series of caches dedicated to the songs of one of my favorite song-writer/singers.
"Tried to amend my carnivorous habits
Made it nearly seventy days
Losin' weight without speed, eatin' sunflower seeds
Drinkin' lots of carrot juice and soakin' up rays
But at night I'd had these wonderful dreams
Some kind of sensuous treat
Not zucchini, fettucini, or Bulgar wheat
But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat"
When I first got the idea for this cache I was not sure about how to write it. But then I started thinking about one of the lyrics of the song which goes “…that American creation on which I feed”. That got me thinking, was the hamburger an American creation? After spending a little time with Dr Google, I found that, in its present form, it most likely was.
The name seems to have come from a small German town named Hamburg, where they had something called a Hamburg steak, which was essentially chopped meat, similar to a Salisbury steak. However, it was not really a ‘hamburger’ since it was not ground, and it was not served as a sandwich. Both of those improvements seem to have originated in America.
Ground beef was not common until around the beginning of the 20th century when meat grinders became widely available for home use. Until that time, meat was more commonly minced by hand, which was difficult and time consuming. Also, around that time there was an increase in the amount of beef, particularly in the United States, thanks in part to the sudden availability of large tracts of land in the west where cattle could be bred. So, suddenly beef was readily available, and it could be easily ground by anyone.
No one seems to know with certainty who ‘invented’ the modern hamburger. It could have been a cook named “Old Dave” in a small town in Texas who put a Hamburg steak between two slices of Texas toast. Or, it could have been food vendors from Ohio who sold the sandwich at a county fair in upstate New York. Or, it could have been a street vendor in Seymour, Wisconsin, who sold something called a “Hamburger Charlie”. Regardless of who it was, the first hamburger was most likely sold sometime between 1885 and 1905.
Hamburgers did not really become ‘mainstream’ until 1921 when the first White Castle restaurant opened in Kansas. Now, of course, hamburgers are sold pretty much everywhere. There are lots of great places to get one here in Anchorage. If you indulge in such things (and I know not everyone does), what’s your favorite place?
"I like mine with lettuce and tomato
Heinz 57 and French-fried potatoes
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer
Well good god almighty which way do I steer ….."
There are about as many different ways to eat a hamburger (or cheeseburger) as there are people to eat them. I'd add mayo to the list above. How do you like yours served?
When searching for the cache, please keep an eye out for moose, practically every time I’ve been in the area I’ve seen a moose somewhere close by. The cache will likely not be readily available in the winter, but that really depends on how much snow there is. Good luck!
Congratulations to alaskatim, Buffalo907, and Biggriz for braving the cold and making the triple FTF!