The World's Wildest Burgers

The origins of the hamburger date back centuries. Named after the German city Hamburg, burgers are an American tradition with worldwide appeal. Today, you can get a burger almost anywhere in the world, any time — well, with some noteworthy exceptions. There was that occasion that music producer Pharrell Williams showed up to a McDonald's in Paris at breakfast time, and no tune he sang would get the employees to serve him a hamburger. Naturally, Pharrell went on to create and open his own burger joint in Tokyo ( and even named a hamburger after himself), so as never to be deprived again.

The World's Wildest Burgers (Slideshow)

Usually, though, burgers are easy to come by. From premium, pricey ones to value options, burgers can be over-the-top monstrosities or simple pleasures that make life beautiful. The ingredients for a classic burger are fairly simple: a beef patty (or two) with optional cheese, onions, tomatoes, condiments, and a tasty bun, possibly with some cheese. 

While a modest burger made with these ingredients is certainly tasty, there's something appealing and delicious about a crazy burger made of different kinds of meat and finished with unexpected toppings. The patty can range from ground beef to premium steak, duck, bacon, venison, and other interesting types of meat. Cook the burger to your tastes — rare, medium, well done — or somewhere in between. Then add on extras like eggs, tomato, pickles, truffles, caviar, onion rings, even snails.

The buns aren't always ordinary, either. Whether dusted in edible gold or coated in rich butter, the breads for burgers are easy to customize, too. One of the latest trends? Swapping out breads and rolls for glazed doughnuts. The perfect combination of sweet and savory, right?

What are the world's wildest, over-the-top burgers, and where can you find them? Read on.

Big Al 

Diners in In New Zealand with adventurous appetites can check out Fergburger, where burger meat options include deer and lamb. Travelers challenge themselves to go for the Big Al, which comes with a double serving (half a pound) of prime New Zealand beef, lashings of bacon, plenty of cheese, two eggs, beets, lettuce, tomato, red onion, relish, and a big wad of aïoli.

Black Ninja Burger

The Black Ninja Burger looks kind of creepy. Also known as the Kuro Ninja, the burger is sold at Burger King in Japan. The ninja has two black buns, an onion ring, and a slice of bacon that looks like an extra-long tongue.

This article was originally published January 13, 2015.