This article will cover why a burger is considered a sandwich. This is the best way to phrase it as not every sandwich is a burger. We will cover what the main difference is in between the two and how a burger can still be a sandwich. The definition of a sandwhich by Google is:
an item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them, eaten as a light meal.
Google
Now, if we were to look at this definition and disregard the “eaten as a light meal” part (which is irrelevant to what we are discussing, neither changes the definition of a sandwich), we can see that a sandwhich can be a lot of different types of sandwiches. To make a sandwich, only two pieces of bread with something in between them to fill in the space between those two pieces of bread is required to make one.
In the definition, the “meat, cheese,” is just an example of what could possibly be in between the bread, as it goes on to say “or other filling between them”. This means that a meatless or cheeseless sandwhich is still a sandwich. So is a sandwich a sandwich with only vegetables in between the two pieces of bread. No sauces or condiment are required to be in the sandwich for the sandwich to be a sandwich. A sandwich can consist of only meat and cheese, be without cheese, or have vegetables, like tomatoes or lettuce without any meat at all.
In other words, an idiot can be placed in between two pieces of bread and make a sandwich called an “idiot sandwich”.
With all of this said, it is easy to see why a burger is a sandwich, and why it would be classified as one. However, just like most types of sandwiches, they are given specific names to better identify what type of sandwich they are.
What Is The Difference Between A Burger And A Sandwich?
Since a burger is a sandwich but not every sandwich is a burger, then the next question is “What is the difference between a burger and a sandwich?” In other words, what makes a burger a burger? All burgers have one thing in common that separates them from other types of sandwiches. They are all made from a food that has been grounded up.
Usually a sandwich is made into a burger when the food that would be eaten in between the two pieces of bread is too tough as is and needs to be grounded up first to be easier to chew and consume. This is why ground beef is so common. Ground beef for example, is usually made from tougher meats that are difficult to chew or consume as a whole from the animal, making a burger more suitable than a simple sandwich in these cases.
Even though burgers are commonly made from a grounded meat, they can also be made from other grounded foods, like plants for example. So a vegan sandwhich with chopped vegetables can become a burger if the vegetables are grounded up like grounded meat would be. This means that a burger doesn’t have to have meat in it to be classified as a burger.
Chicken burgers are also possible, even though chicken usually isn’t grounded up like other tougher meats would be in order to make burgers. There is a difference between a chicken sandwich and a chicken burger. A chicken sandwhich is made from cooked chicken that hasn’t been grounded up, while a chicken burger is made from chicken that has been grounded up.
Also, a burger doesn’t have to be made with buns to be considered a burger either. This is because sandwiches can be made with many different types of bread, including burger buns, but still be a sandwich without being a burger. A burger is solely dependent on the food being grounded to make a patty to put in between the two pieces of bread, not the type of bread used to make the burger.
Burger patties usually have a mix of the food substance and fat or oils to help the uncooked patty hold together to make a cooked patty whenever the patty is cooked.
Examples of sandwiches that are not burgers:
Panini Sandwich
Other examples of sandwiches that are not burgers are panini sandwiches. The panini sandwich is dependent on the type of bread used, but grounded food isn’t used for panini sandwiches. If grounded food was used to make the panini sandwich, it would be a burger and no longer a panini sandwich, despite the bread used.
Sub Sandwich
Sub sandwiches aren’t burgers, because they are made usually with meat and vegetables without grinding them up. The meat or other substances are instead thinly slices, shredded, or chopped up. Sub sandwiches are also dependent on the type of bread used, which isn’t burger buns, but long pieces of bread (baguettes).
Bologna Sandwich
A bologna sandwich does consist of grounded meat, however, it isn’t a burger, because the meat is reformed after it is grounded up into a slice or piece of meat. This is where things start to get a little controversial, as the meat has been grounded up, but takes up a different form, that is similar to a slice of meat taken off of a whole piece of meat for its final product. Bologna can be made from various different types of meats from different animals, which is why it is grounded up to begin with.
