A burger and a sandwich certainly seem similar at first glance. They both consist of meat, cheese, vegetables, and condiments sandwiched between two pieces of bread. However, there are some key differences that set burgers and sandwiches apart.
What is a sandwich?
According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a sandwich is defined as “two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between.” The filling can be any number of ingredients, either cold cuts, cheese, meat, vegetables, spreads, or a combination of ingredients. The bread serves as a container to hold the filling together for convenient eating. Sandwiches are portable, hand-held meals that can be eaten without additional utensils.
Some key attributes of a sandwich include:
- Bread: The bread serves as the top and bottom barrier enclosing the filling. Common bread types used in sandwiches include slices of loaf bread, rolls, bagels, and even crackers or croissants.
- Filling: The ingredients sandwiched between the bread can include meats, cheeses, vegetables, spreads, or other toppings. Sandwiches highlight the flavors of the filling ingredients.
- Portability: Sandwiches are designed to be held and eaten with your hands. The bread keeps the contents neatly together for on-the-go meals.
- Open face: Though less common, open-faced sandwiches with a single slice of bread are still considered sandwiches.
Sandwiches encompass a wide variety of bread and filling combinations popular around the world. Common examples include ham sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, BLTs, tuna melts, and many more.
What is a burger?
A hamburger (or burger) is a type of sandwich that consists of one or more cooked meat patties, typically beef, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun. Additional toppings and condiments are added, such as cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and sauces like ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise.
Burgers are similar to sandwiches in that they have filling between bread, but there are some differences that distinguish burgers:
- Form of bread: Burgers use a single loaf or bun sliced horizontally, rather than separate slices of bread.
- Patty: Burgers are structured around a cooked ground meat patty, most commonly beef. The patty is the core of the burger.
- Build approach: Burgers allow you to custom build layers with toppings. Sandwiches have preset fillings.
- Portion size: Burgers tend to have larger serving and portion sizes than regular sandwiches.
- Cooking method: Burgers involve cooking the meat patty, while sandwiches do not require cooked fillings.
Burgers can be served in a variety of forms including fast food-style, gourmet, slider, and even bite-sized versions. But the central component that makes a burger a burger is that ground beef patty on a bun.
Key Differences Between Burgers and Sandwiches
While there are certainly similarities between burgers and sandwiches, these key differences set them apart definitively:
| Factor | Sandwich | Burger |
|---|---|---|
| Bread | Separate slices or pieces | Single unified bun |
| Filling | Various meats, cheeses, spreads | Must have cooked ground beef patty |
| Build Approach | Pre-assembled | Custom built with toppings |
| Purpose | Portable meal | Experience of flavors |
| Serving Size | Variable but often a single serving | Larger meal sized portion |
| Utensils | Designed to eat by hand | Often served with utensils |
The Role of the Patty
Arguably the biggest difference between a burger and a sandwich comes down to the meat patty. Sandwiches do not require any cooked meat, although they may contain meats like deli slices, bacon, chicken, or fried fish. The burger patty sets a burger apart by bringing the following attributes:
- Flavor – The seasoned patty is the core flavor profile of a burger. Sandwiches layer in flavors from various ingredients.
- Texture – The meat patty provides a unique texture contrast against the soft bun and toppings.
- Cooking Method – Burgers require cooking a patty over fire or grill, while sandwiches do not need cooked meats.
- Prominence – The patty is structurally central to a burger, unlike sandwich fillings which share prominence.
- Customization – The patty allows diners to choose cooking doneness and size to customize the burger.
The cooked ground beef patty is integral to what makes a burger a standalone sandwich category. Without the patty, the burger would more closely resemble a sandwich.
Cultural Significance of Burgers vs. Sandwiches
Burgers and sandwiches also differ in their cultural prominence and associations:
Sandwiches
- Wide range of types for different tastes and dietary needs
- Associated with homemade, mom-made, or deli lunch meals
- Can be simple and basic or gourmet and upscale
- Portable, on-the-go convenience food
- Generally personal sized portions
Burgers
- Strong association with American cuisine and barbecue culture
- Linked to indulgence, comfort food and vacation eating
- Tend to be meal-sized, bigger and heartier than sandwiches
- Customizable experience with endless toppings combinations
- Strong ties to fast food and restaurant culture
Sandwiches span both everyday quick meals and artisanal creations, while burgers embody a nostalgic, indulgent American food experience. This cultural symbolism also separates their identities.
When Does a Burger Become a Sandwich?
There are some cases where the line between burger and sandwich may seem blurred. For example:
- A veggie burger replaces the patty with a vegetable-based protein. But the veggie patty still mimics structure and flavor role of a meat patty.
- Sliders and bite-sized burgers may visually resemble sandwiches, but still center around a mini patty.
- Burger ingredients sandwiched between slices of bread rather than a unified bun start to resemble a sandwich. But the distinctive cooked patty remains.
Despite some grey areas, the cooked ground beef patty remains the essential difference of a burger. Sandwiches may share similar ingredients or portability, but they lack that core structural component.
The Verdict
Based on the criteria that set sandwiches and burgers apart, there is a clear case to be made that burgers do not qualify as true sandwiches:
- Burgers must have a cooked ground meat patty as the core ingredient. Sandwiches can have endless combinations of meats, cheeses, spreads, or veggies as fillings.
- The burger patty brings a distinct flavor profile, texture, doneness, and prominence that sandwich fillings do not replicate.
- Burgers allow for customizable construction, while sandwiches have set ingredients.
- Burgers utilize a unified bun rather than separate bread slices.
- There are cultural and symbolic associations unique to burgers that distinguish them from sandwiches.
While burgers share traits like portability and ingredient sandwiching, the cooked beef patty is the game changer that gives burgers their own identity. Burgers may be a type of sandwich in a broad sense, but they have evolved over time into their own distinctive sandwich subcategory that differs greatly from a traditional sliced bread and filling sandwich.
Conclusion
Burgers and sandwiches certainly have commonalities in ingredients and general assembly between two pieces of bread. However, there are important contrasts in structure, cuisine, and customs that set burgers apart definitively from regular sandwich fare.
The cooked ground beef patty is the central identity of a burger. It brings a heartier serving size, customizable build approach, and signifies an indulgent American food experience unlike any other sandwich. While sandwiches highlight fillings between bread slices, burgers anchor the flavors and experience around the patty.
Next time you enjoy a burger or sandwich, consider how the architecture, components, and eating experience distinguish these two beloved handheld classics. And ponder the bigger question of what truly constitutes a sandwich, after all.