Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 2:37PM Where Did the concept of sliders (miniature hamburgers) come from?
Have you been to a restaurant where they served small hamburgers (or sometimes other small burger-type munchies like crab cakes) and called them sliders? Ever wondered where they got that name?
Although there is some question as to exactly when the term came into use for mini hamburgers, White Castle is credited with popularizing the term to describe its rather unique square, five-holed hamburgers. In fact, White Castle has trademarked the term “original slider” http://www.whitecastle.com/food/menu.
If you really must have all the details, check out the histories of sliders by Barry Popik http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/slider_or_slyder_mini_hamburger/ and by New Yotk food writer, critic and historian, Robert Sietsema, http://www.slashfood.com/2010/05/12/the-short-tangled-history-of-the-slider/ .
Reader Comments (2)
Maybe White Castle get's credit for the term sliders in 1994 but I hate to tell them the Detroit Airport employee cafeteria was selling hambergers that were called sliders since the 1980's.
Fascinating. Thanks. I'll have to tell my White Castle-afficiando husband (who has never been to Detroit) about the Motor City's claim to the expression.