Last week when I was at Bajas, a Tex-Mex restaurant on Thayer Street in Providence, RI, a friend of mine suddenly sighed “aah soo American", pointing to the Burgers section on the menu. Of course there would be burgers in a Tex-Mex restaurant because what else could better represent the “Tex" part. I think everyone would agree that burgers are an indispensable part of American culture. But have you ever wondered how a dish as basic as meat between two buns became so associated with American culture? Even its name comes from the German city, Hamburg, and the origins of it are still unclear. Well, in between my exams, essays and presentations, yes I chose to think about this.
Let's start with this. What comes up to your mind when you think about American culture? Well, the first things that come to my mind are the logos of American brands; Apple, Nike, Coca Cola, McDonalds… I think you get where I'm going with this. THE WHOLE CULTURE OF UNITED STATES IS BASED ON CAPITALISM AND CONSUMERISM! And hamburgers perfectly reflect that consumerist culture in the USA.
Americans eat burgers for every meal of the day, even for breakfast by putting an egg and cheese between the buns. The special thing about burgers is that a whole meal is compressed into one dish which you can hold even with one hand and that can be consumed in just three minutes or less. You don't even need any utensils so you can eat it on your way to wherever you are going. That is why burgers are such a good fit for the fast paced, consumerist urban lifestyle of US. You just eat to nourish yourself and continue on with what you are doing. You don't spend time eating it because your only purpose is to consume and be full until the next meal. As opposed to the fast food culture of the United States, meals are seen as a way of socializing and spending time with family and friends in many other cultures. For example, in Spanish there is a term called “sobremesa" which literally means "over the table" and refers to the art of conversation after a meal. Instead of taking the last bite and leaving, Spanish people often stay at the table chatting, enjoying each other's company. In Turkey, where I am from, breakfasts are a huge deal. They last for hours and don't end when you have to go to work. They end when there is no more tea left in the teapot. In France, food is primarily about pleasure. There is a myth that French people spend five hours a day going to 12 different markets to get their food.(Choi, 2014) Unlike in the United States, in many cultures people spend hours cooking and eating.
Moreover, burgers also reflect the individualistic culture of United States. Well, simply because you can't really share a burger. It is not something that is put in the middle of the table, served to other people from a plate and eaten collectively. By design it is made for one person only. You hold it with both of your hands and take possession of it. In contrast, in Arab and East Asian cultures, the act of eating is mostly communal where there is no one single plated dish, but shared communal platters.
With all these fast food chains, burgers are made continuously, one after the other with the same standard all around the world. In a way, food becomes a commodity which is mass produced almost mechanically instead of a pleasurable experience that is shared by your loved ones. That is why burgers perfectly represent how food culture in the United States is developed by capitalism. The concern for efficiency took over values like endeavor, pleasure and passion and created food without souls.
