Speaker 1: The other day we looked at the iconic hot dog,
and how can we not discuss fast food without mentioning
the hamburger. A staple of American cuisine. This totally customizable
food is a crowd pleaser everywhere. Let's discuss.
Speaker 2: Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from
New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael.
Speaker 1: All Ray, Thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael
here from Happy English and I help people speak English better.
This is Happy English Podcast, Episode seven point thirty six. Hamburgers.
The iconic hamburger has become a symbol of American cuisine
all over the States and around the world. With its
juicy beef patty and a wide variety of toppings, the
hamburger is a staple at backyard barbecues, fast food joints,
and diners across the United States. Like its summer barbecue partner,
the hot dog. The origins of the hamburger can be
traced back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
It's believe that the hamburger was inspired by the hamburg steak,
a popular dish in Germany. German immigrants brought this concept
to America, where it evolved into the modern hamburger. Of course,
there are many claims about who invented the hamburger, but
one popular story credits a man named Lewis Lassen. He
served the first hamburger at his lunch wagon in New Haven, Connecticut,
in nineteen hundred. In fact, his restaurant, Lewis Lunch is
still open and still cooking the patties on their original
cast iron grills, served on white bread toast, with only cheese, onion,
and tomato as toppings. Today, the hamburger is more than
just a meal. It's a cultural icon and one of
the most customizable foods around. From gourmet burgers with exotic
toppings to the classic fast food variety, hamburgers come in
endless variations. They're enjoyed by people of all ages, and
are often associated with social gatherings and celebrations. And now
let's check out the vocabulary from this lesson. Something that
is iconic is widely recognized and is often representative of
a particular place or thing. For example, the hamburger is
an iconic American food known around the world. The Empire
State Building is one of the most iconic buildings in
New York City. On a clear day in Tokyo you
can see the iconic Mount Fuji towering into the sky.
You may know a staple as a small bent piece
of metal used to hold papers together, but the word
staple also means a basic or essential item that is
regularly used or consumed. Here are some examples. Hamburgers are
a staple of American barbecues and cookouts. I'm guessing that
pasta is a staple food in Italy. Ketchup and mustard
are two staples that you can find on the table
of many restaurants here in the state. The main ingredient
in a hamburger is the patty, which is a flat,
round piece of ground meat. For example, hamburger patties are
often made of beef. In these days you can find
vegetarian patties made from beans or vegetables. I think the
best way to cook a beef patty is on the grill.
And finally, something that is customizable can be modified or
adapted to meet individual preferences or needs. Here are some examples.
One of the best things about hamburgers is that they
are highly customizable. Another popular and customizable food in the
USA is pizza. When you buy a high performance car
like a Lamborghini, it's completely customizable. Keep in mind, the
best way to remember this and any other word or
phrase in English is to take that word or phrase,
write it in a sentence that's true for you or
true in your world, and then memorize your sentences by
the way. Can you imagine getting the chance to practice
this kind of English with me directly? You can get
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the past and in the future. And on top of that,
each episode has exercises where you can practice this English
point with speaking and writing checked by me. To learn more,
just visit Myhappy English dot com and choose podcast lesson
seven thirty six. Remember, learning another language is not easy,
but it's not impossible, and I'm here to help you
on your journey.
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