There was a time, before the American fast food chains arrived in Australia, when we had locally-made hamburgers "with the lot". The burgers back then included the usual meat patty, cheese, sauce (barbecue or tomato) and for a burger to have "the lot" it had to have beetroot, egg, pineapple and bacon.
The egg was fried and runny and the beetroot and pineapple came straight from the tin. Lettuce, tomato, and onions might be involved, but weren't strictly necessary. The real Aussie burger was made at the local milk bar or fish'n'chip shop and was devoured while drinking a cold milkshake in a tall anodised cup.
It's Australia Day today and I'm going to celebrate with a real Aussie hamburger and a milkshake.
