The term “hamburger” has been used since at least 1885, but its origin dates back much further than that. The word derives from the German word Hambeere (or Hamburgh), which means “peas”. In the Middle Ages, the peas were boiled into a mushy paste called “Hamburgerschmecke”, which was then mixed with meat and bread to create a kind of sausage-like food. It wasn’t until around 1730 when the first recorded use of the phrase “hamburger” appeared – referring specifically to sausages made of ground beef.