Burger vs. Sandwich: What’s The Difference?

Burgers and sandwiches are two of the most popular foods globally, and almost everyone eats them. These two items became popular recently, and now they have taken over, especially burgers, which are the lifeline of fast-food restaurants. Now, we can’t imagine a life without burgers or Sandwiches.

But did you ever wonder what separates a burger from a sandwich? It’s an interesting question because usually, we accept things as they are and don’t think about what is what. On a first look, almost all of us can figure out that Burgers are made using buns while Sandwiches are made using sliced bread… flat, square bread.

But isn’t that the same thing? Using baked dough on two sides and filling the center. To some extent, Burgers and sandwiches are considered by many to be the same thing. We know that might be a little hard to grasp, but it is not certain.

There are no governing bodies for food terms, unlike those that figure out how much nutrients we can consume each day. So, the decision is yours, and you can decide if you want to call burgers sandwiches or not. Read on to know all you want to make a decision and clarify your mind.

The Basic Difference Between a Burger and a Sandwich

When they see a burger and a sandwich, almost everyone can tell what the difference between the two is. The different types of bread used, the different fillings and the type of ingredients used. But there are also plenty of similarities that we ignore or don’t usually see. 

But even if Burgers and sandwiches were the same, we made a whole new term for burgers to differentiate them from sandwiches. So, when you say you want a burger, you don’t get handed a tuna sandwich instead. This differentiation was made for the ease of ordering food. 

As the popularity of burgers and sandwiches rocketed, the creators of these foods realized that it would be too confusing to call Burgers sandwiches. Just imagine how different it would have been if there was no distinction between a burger and a sandwich. In the early days of its development, burgers were listed on the menus as burger sandwiches or Hamburger sandwiches. 

But lucky for us, restaurants changed it to only burgers, for conversational reasons and also to highlight the differences these two food items have. 

Cutting Bread Theory

The most obvious distinction is how the bread is cut. Now, cutting doesn’t just mean the way the bread is cut (Vertically or horizontally) but also the amount of bread used. 

According to this theory, a burger uses grilled or seared meat (which is usually grounded and turned into a patty) between a piece of bread cut horizontally, and then other toppings are placed on the meat. So, here is when we consider how much bread is being used. If we cut the bread loaf vertically, we get thinner bread slices.

But if we cut the bread horizontally, we get more bread per slice. However, this theory loses its meaning when we look at the breadless options available today, like using eggplants or donuts instead of bread. Do we still call these sandwiches or Burgers? It’s up to you to decide. 

There is a lot of information regarding burgers and sandwiches on the internet, and to be honest, there is enough evidence on both sides of the argument. If you read enough articles on the internet about burgers, you may realize that even those who claim burgers to be sandwiches may be wrong as well. 

So, What’s a Burger?

We can use history and common sense to clarify things. The first-ever Burger was not introduced until the end of the 19th century. On the other hand, sandwiches were first made somewhere in the 18th century (more on that in a while). So, the sandwich came first, and we can consider burgers to be a copy of sandwiches. 

There are several claims for the invention of Burgers, but the clam accepted by most people comes from Louis Lassan, who put ground beef between two pieces of bread to make it easier to eat. In another claim, it is said that the Burger was invented by a Vendor working at a fair in Wisconsin. He wanted to make it easier for people to eat while they were walking, so he put meat in two pieces of bread. 

So, the standard set by the collective chefs around the world is that a burger must have a patty made from ground meat (or other food items); the patty is then topped with various toppings and condiments. 

What’s a Sandwich? 

A sandwich is made by filling two slices of bread with meat or vegetables, among other things. Sandwiches go way back, and they have a long history; they’re probably as old as bread and meat. But the term ‘Sandwich’ isn’t that old. It was first used in the 18th century when the Earl of Sandwich asked his cook to bring him something to eat that he could eat without getting out of his seat. 

He was apparently on a long streak of gambling. Anyways, this is how the term sandwich was born. And today, almost every cuisine on this planet has integrated sandwiches in their cuisine in one way or another. This adaption of the sandwich happened because of the ease of preparation and the variety of sandwiches one can make. 

So What’s the Difference Between Burger and Sandwich?

• Burger uses grilled or seared meat, while Sandwiches are made with all kinds of meat. 
• Burger requires a lot more cooking (frying the patty, heating the buns to soften’ the up) than sandwiches, which require almost no cooking at all. 
• Burgers are usually cylindrical or round in shape, while sandwiches can take many shapes, the most common ones being circular and triangular.
• Sandwiches are easier to make than burgers. 
• While making burgers, we cut the bread horizontally, which is not the case in sandwiches. 

Sources

• gbymikeisabella
• History
• SweetHomeDigest
• Stromboli