shamburger

n. a hamburger patty made with ingredients other than, or in addition to, beef. Subjects: English, Food & Drink, Slang

Editorial Note: Thanks to Barry Popik for the tip-off on this term.

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Citations: 1973 (May 7) @ Sally Bennett’s Magic Moments (2001) Richard Grudens p. 40: Science has since turned the soybean into a nutritious food called textured soy protein. Versions of this product tastes like meat. On May 7, 1973, Sally Bennett introduced her version called the Shamburger.…“It never really took off in those days, but I sure tried.” 1990 Michael Bateman Independent (London, England) (Oct. 14) “You don’t have to mortify the flesh to be a vegan”: At the South Bank Polytechnic, a team of food scientists is labouring to produce a bean burger made of tempeh (fermented rice and soya beans). They call it a Shamburger. I call it a shame. 1992 Judith Olney Washington Times (District of Columbia) (Apr. 8) “Shamburgers offer tasty, sage choice” p. F3: Shamburgers, a high-protein alternative to meat, can be made ahead, individually covered in plastic wrap and frozen until used. When needed, simply unthaw a Shamburger, and it will be ready to fry or to throw on a grill 5 minutes before the real hamburgers have finished cooking. 1997 [Stuart A. Bronstein] Usenet: uk.singles (Oct. 19) “Re: Am I the only single male in Britain?”: “Yes, well the thing between the bits of “bread” and covered in tissue paper and gooey stuff is *supposed* to be a hamburger, but I’m buggered if I can see the resemblance.” “I guess they should call it a ‘shamburger.’” 2006 Steve Cuozzo New York Post (June 14) “Nursing A Beef With Shamburgers”: Nursing A Beef With Shamburgers.…Lots of chefs in nonburger eateries think ground chuck is tacky. They’ve created a Mutant Burger epidemic, tweaking their beef with all kinds of oddball cuts and stuffings.

Posted 16 Jun 06 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

This reminds me of Birkenfakes, a word I coined to describe inexpensive knockoffs of the classic Birkenstock shoes.

by Benita Black 19 Jun 06, 0437 GMT