An Amusing Animated Timeline of How the Hamburger Came to Be

Food expert George Motz and illustrator Jorge Corona of New York Magazine have put together an amusing animated history of the hamburger complete with an explanation of its origins, its earliest incarnations, how it travelled to the United States, and how it got its name. The video is part of a Grub Street feature in honor of National Hamburger Month.

Its rise from a lowly patty of chopped meat to the aristocracy of foods; its charismatic and delicious descendants; the arguments it inspires­—over ethics and blends and tastes; and Silicon Valley’s attempt to replace it with a meat that is not meat at all.