Patty

The icon. Seasoned ground beef, pressed flat, seared hard on a hot surface. Best at 80/20 fat ratio. The smash burger variant has become the modern gold standard — maximum crust, minimum fuss.

Flaky golden-yellow crust (tinted with turmeric) wrapped around curried spiced ground beef, scotch bonnet peppers, and aromatics. Street food royalty. The coco bread sandwich variant is a whole meal.

The original plant-based patty. Soaked (never canned) chickpeas or fava beans, blitzed with herbs, onion, and spices — cumin, coriander, a whisper of cayenne. Crispy shell, green fluffy interior. Ancient Egypt claims the invention.

Australia's unsung patty hero. Ground meat mixed with breadcrumbs, onion, egg, and a splash of Worcestershire. Shaped into thick discs and fried. Found at every backyard BBQ from Perth to Brisbane. Squash flat on white bread with sauce.

Southern US staple. Canned or fresh salmon mixed with egg, cornmeal, onion, and Old Bay. Pan-fried until the edges go lacey and crisp. Served with tartar sauce or remoulade. Depression-era ingenuity turned into comfort food canon.

A soft-boiled egg encased in seasoned sausage meat, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. The original is a London department store invention (Fortnum & Mason, 1738). The runny yolk is non-negotiable.

Technically a ball, but the flat pressed variant (bakso gepeng) is firmly in patty territory. Bouncy, springy texture from the tapioca starch binder. Served in hot broth with noodles, fried shallots, and sambal.

Spiced mashed potato patties crisped on a tawa until golden. Cumin, green chilies, chaat masala, and fresh coriander in the mix. Topped with tamarind chutney, yogurt, and sev. The chaat topping makes it transcendent.

The ground-meat cousin of tonkatsu. Minced pork and onion formed into a thick disc, breaded in panko, and deep-fried to a shattering crunch. Served with tonkatsu sauce and shredded cabbage. Konbini staple.

Torpedo-shaped or flat — fine bulgur wheat and raw lean meat (kibbeh nayyeh) for the shell, stuffed with spiced cooked meat, pine nuts, and onion. Deep-fried until the crust is armor-hard and the inside is tender.

The veggie burger that actually tastes good. Black beans mashed with breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, smoked paprika, and whatever's in the fridge. The trick is drying the beans properly — moisture is the enemy of structure.

Finger-length sausages that function as patties in flatbread. Mixed beef and lamb, garlic, salt — no breadcrumbs, no egg, pure meat. Served in somun bread with raw onion and kajmak cream. Sarajevo is the spiritual home.