by Chef Adam Moore

The inspiration for today's burger comes from Hamburg in Germany, where the original 'Hamburg steak' was made up of ground beef and pork fat, reformed as a pattie to make it easier to be eaten with a knife and fork. It wasn’t until the 1870s in the U.S when it was sandwiched between two pieces of bread and sold in take away carts to make it accessible to everyone, especially workers on the go, that it became known as the burger. 
 
Burgers have now changed the global landscape in the dining scene especially in Australia where casual dining trends reinvented our nations love for the burger. Chefs take the time to construct, build flavours and texture on the iconic burger and savvy foodies are seeking them out with many new burger venues opening.
 
We are in love with burgers nationally, with everything from mainstream McDonald’s with Australia’s own taste classic Mc Oz, to unique burgers from Burger Hounds in Wahroonga, Sydney; the Deep Fried Cheeseburger at  Fipp In Parramatta Westfield or the famous epic eat - Pig Burger at Milk Bar Café Ish in Redfern.
 
The burger champions the perfect vehicle to personalise and adapt new trends or international flavours and below are some of the big trends in burgers for 2020.
 
The Right Mix | Burger creators are finding the right balance of meats and fats from protein sources to create a texture and solid flavour build. Using protein cuts and incorporating pork mince/fat as part of the ratio for both fat and flavour. What is your perfect mix?
 
Global Fusions | Mixtures of cuisines can make bold statements, like Korean kimchi mayo, Thai and Vietnamese sauces or strong seasonings like Cajun, smokehouse and BBQ fused with Asian condiment highlights. Bamboo shoots can be used in place of pickles.
 
Fancy Buns | No more sesame or milk buns, we want something extra like using potato starch or brioche. Brades Burgers in Parramatta do a burger of the month using Sriracha or chilli flavoured buns. Melbourne Pretzel styled buns are sneaking in on a pork knuckle burger. The buns are flavoured or coloured to make a statement or add an extra dimension. What would be your ideal bun?
 
Flavour Matching is Crafted | Flavour and textures are combined to ensure every element is complimenting the other in terms of flavour pairing or the new term “Flavour Layering”. Matching flavour profiles and upselling with the perfect side or customisation of sauces and drinks. Epic sides like tater tots and melted cheese, fried pickles or loaded fries are seen often. And customised, creative milkshakes like toasted marshmallow, Turkish delight, peanut butter & jelly or even mars bars. Sodas have also become the new “cool” when matching with food try house made crafted sodas or companies like Frucor with LoveBite.
 
Burgers are a great way to experiment with an entire array of flavours and have fun and learn along the way.

Happy cooking!
Chef Adam Moore