Report reveals South Africans are a fussy bunch when it comes to burgers

I do fancy the occasional takeaway hamburger, yet according to the latest SA Uber Eats Craving Report, I don’t fit the mould when it comes to my choice of toppings.

Given the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s no surprise that the practice of ordering food online and having it delivered to our doorsteps is on rise, and this report spills the beans on what’s popular and what’s not.

It also reflects our pickiness when it comes to ordering one of our favourites: the hamburger.

We have very clear likes and dislikes when it comes to assembling our burgers, yet none of them concern the main component, the meat patty, but rather the accoutrements that go in-between this and the bun.

Apparently we're a saucy bunch — a popular request is for dollops of extra sauce — and we also love the hot stuff as extra hot chilli sauce tops the list of requirements.

Among the pet hates, the tomato fares the worst and removing it comes in at the top of the list of special requests, followed by the next least favourite, the onion. I agree, I’ve never been a fan of raw onion.

Unfortunately pickles also rank highly among dislikes. For me, they're the part that makes or breaks a burger.

Their US report shows similarities to ours: tomato tops the list of no-gos along with onions and pickles. The Americans also love their sauce — ketchup is high in the popularity stakes — and they too have a penchant for hot food as "extra spicy" is one of the most common requests. 

In contrast to meaty burgers, the SA report indicates that vegetarian and vegan eats are growing in popularity and that menu items marked "healthy" have pricked our interest - even more so during lockdown.

Another interesting titbit is that pap is becoming a popular request as an alternative to another starch, rice.