Veggie burger

Veggie burger

Type	Sandwich
Main ingredients	Vegetables, textured vegetable protein, legumes, nuts, mushrooms, or grains or seeds
Cookbook: Veggie burger  Media: Veggie burger

A veggie burger is a hamburger-style, or chicken-style, patty that does not contain meat, but may contain animal products such as egg or milk.^[1] The patty of a veggie burger may be made from vegetables (like potato or corn), textured vegetable protein (like soy), legumes (beans), tofu, nuts, mushrooms, or grains or seeds, like wheat and flax.

History

The patties that are the essence of a veggie burger have existed in various Eurasian cuisines for millennia, including in the form of disc-shaped grilled or fried meatballs or as koftas, a commonplace item in Indian cuisine. These may contain meats or be made of entirely vegetarian ingredients such as legumes or other plant-derived proteins. While it is not possible, or even necessary, to identify the 'inventor' of the veggie burger, there have been numerous claimants.

The veggie burger, by name, may have been created in London in 1982 by Gregory Sams, who called it the 'VegeBurger'. Gregory and his brother Craig had run a natural food restaurant in Paddington since the 1960s;^[2] a Carrefour hypermarket in Southampton sold 2000 packets in three weeks after its launch.^[3]

Using the name Gardenburger, an early veggie burger was developed by Paul Wenner around 1980 or 1981 in Wenner's vegetarian restaurant, The Gardenhouse, in Gresham, Oregon.^[4]

• Veggie burgers
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  A Burger King Veggie combo meal, including a veggie burger, from Germany

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  Vegetarian bean burgers cooking

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  A veggie burger with vegetable toppings

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  Close-up of a veggie burger prepared with a flax bagel, soy cheese, lettuce, mustard, tomato and a Yves veggie burger patty

Restaurants

Order from a vegetarian deli: veggie burger with french fries and salad

Some fast food companies have been offering vegetarian foods increasingly since the beginning of the 21st century.

India

In India where vegetarianism is widespread, McDonald's, Burger King and KFC serve veggie burgers.^[5][6][7] In 2012, McDonald's opened its first vegetarian-only restaurant in India.^[8]

Around the world

Different kinds of veggie burgers are also served permanently in McDonald's restaurants in:

• India (McVeggie, consisting of a fried, breaded patty of ground vegetables, with lettuce and ketchup, in a wholewheat, sesame or foccacia bun)
• Bahrain^[9]
• Cheung Chau, Hong Kong (McVeggie, in Cheung Chau Bun Festival)
• Egypt (McFalafel, consisting of a falafel patty with tomato, lettuce and tahini sauce)^[10][11]
• Germany Since February 2010, McDonald's Germany, its fourth-biggest global market, is serving veggie burgers in all its restaurants.^[12][13]
• Greece (McVeggie, consisting of a breaded and fried vegetable patty with tomato, iceberg lettuce and ketchup, in a sesame bun)^[14]
• Malaysia^[15]
• The Netherlands (Groentenburger=Vegetable Burger)^[16]
• Sweden (McGarden)^[9][17]
• Switzerland (Vegi Mac)^[9][17][18]
• UAE^[19]

United States

In the United States as of April 2005, veggie burgers became available in Burger King restaurants and those of its franchise Hungry Jack's.^[20] As of that same time, they were also available in certain Subways and Harvey's, as well as many chain restaurants, such as Red Robin, Chili's, Denny's, Friendly's, Culvers, Johnny Rockets, and Hard Rock Cafe. Occasionally the veggie burger option will appear at the bottom of a menu as a possible substitution for beef or turkey burgers, rather than as an individual menu item.

See also

• BK Veggie
• Boca Burger
• Gardenburger
• List of hamburgers
• List of meat substitutes
• List of sandwiches
• Meat analogue
• Morningstar Farms
• Okara
• Quorn
• Sanitarium Health Food Company
• Vada pav
• Veganism
• Vegetarian food
• Vegetarianism
• Veggies of Nottingham

References

1. "Vegetarians fed a fast one with meat by-products found in some of their dishes". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
2. "The Vegeburger story". Chaos Works. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
3. "And Here Comes the VegeBurger". The Observer. UK. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
4. "Inventor of the Week – Paul Wenner". MIT. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
5. Meatless Burgers Gain Popularity Across America Rediff
6. McDonald's new TVC pushes McChicken, McVeggie products Indiantelevision.com
7. "Burger King Brings Beef-Free Whoppers to India". Wall Street Journal. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
8. "McDonald's opens vegetarian-only restaurant". BBC.
9. "The Love Burger, Seaweed Fries, and Other Curiosities". Tikifish.com. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
10. "About.com Middle Eastern Food: McFalafel". Mideastfood.about.com. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
11. "McDonald Introduces McFalafel, Just for Egypt". Touregypt.net. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
12. "Veggie burger, coffee to fuel McDonald's in Germany". Reuters. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
13. "McDonald's veggie burger page at the German McDonald's homepage". Mcdonalds.de. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
14. McDonald's Greece: McVeggie Burger
15. (...) Bubur Ayam McD, McEgg, Veggie Burger, French Fries (...)
16. "McDonald's Netherlands: Groenteburger (Vegetable Burger)". Mcdonalds.nl. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
17. "McDonalds Food from Around the McWorld". Nowthatsnifty.blogspot.com. 22 July 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
18. "McDonald's Switzerland: Vegi Mac". Mcdonalds.ch. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
19. Mcdonalds Dubai veggie burger calories
20. Hungry Jack's. "Veggie Burger". Retrieved 7 May 2009.

External links

• Veggie Burger Recipes
• The Walnut Burger