The history of hamburgers begins thousands of years ago. There is recorded information stating that the ancient Egyptians ate ground meat and that over time meat patties have received different names in different places.
1209-1121 - The Mongol Army of Genghis Khan, conquered two thirds of what the world was at that time. The Mongols were a fast-moving, army that rode small ponies for long periods of time, sometimes days without dismounting. Consequently, they did not have the opportunity to stop and build a fire for their meal. This army needed food that could be carried on their mounts and ground meat was the perfect choice. They used scrapings of lamb or mutton to form flat patties. They kept these patties under the saddles of their horses while riding into battle. When it was time to eat, they ate the raw meat from between the saddle and the back of the horse.
1238 - When Genghis Khan's grandson, Khubilai Khan (1215-1294), invaded Moscow, they brought their unique dietary ground meat with them. The Russians adopted it and named it "Steak Tartare," (Tartars was the name given to the Mongols). For many years, Russian chefs adapted and developed this dish and refining it with chopped onions and raw eggs.
1600s - Ships from the German port of Hamburg, Germany brought the steak tartare to Germany and called it "tartare steak.
"In the late eighteenth century, the largest ports in Europe were in Germany. Sailors who traveled to the ports of Hamburg, Germany and New York, brought this food and term "Hamburg Steak" became popular.
In 1802, the Oxford English Dictionary defined Hamburg steak as salt beef. It had little resemblance to the hamburger we know today. Immigrants to the United States from German-speaking countries brought with them some of their favorite foods; one of them was Hamburg Steak. Both cooked and raw, it became a standard meal among the poorer classes.
1885 - The family of Frank and Charles Menches from Akron, Ohio, claimed the invention of the hamburger. The family stated that the brothers invented the hamburger while traveling in the Midwest in 1880s, when the brothers ran out of pork and used beef and decided to serve it as a sandwich between two pieces of bread. The brothers called this sandwich the "hamburger" after Hamburg, New York where they were at that time.