Burgerland Smash Up bites into burger culture
Inspired by George Motz, Bodhi Valentine makes beef and plant-based “smashburger” kits to order out of an East Vancouver commissary
Burgerland Smash Up is all about simplicity.
AFTER BODHI VALENTINE lost his job due to the pandemic fallout late last year, he turned to something he’s passionate about and took the first steps to building on it as a business.
He’s the founder of Burgerland Smash Up, which makes “smashburger” kits to order for meat lovers, vegetarians, and vegans alike. It’s not just that the newfound entrepreneur loves a good burger; it’s more that Valentine is enthralled by burger culture as a whole.
“Burger culture is a passionate corner of the foodie sphere where chefs, armchair chefs, burger nerds, and Instagram-worthy images collide in a fanatical and drool-worthy share fest of ‘burger porn’, cooking tips, recipes, and never-ending debate,” Valentine tells Stir. “My take is directly and unapologetically inspired by burger scholar, George Motz. I first watched his 2004 documentary Hamburger America, in which he travelled the USA discovering and eating at the best regional burger joints from every state and sharing the stories of their evolution. Next, he had a TV series called Burger Land that expanded on the premise followed by a book and a recipe book. This was a game-changer for me that made it so easy to access the rich history of the hamburger and taste-drive these iconic classics from the comforts of home.
“For me, burger culture is most exciting when you understand that, much like American BBQ, there are recipes and techniques unique to those regions and that its history is full of fun facts and antidotes,” he adds. “From humble beginnings and a still-disputed origin story in early 1900s America to the global icon we know today, it's evolved through a series of historic innovations that make for great stories to regale friends, family, and colleagues with.”
The Burgerland Smash Up lineup features a variety of kits that pay homage to classic and beloved regional burger styles. There’s the In-N-Out-Burger–inspired California UP-N-DOWN; Classic American Cheese; Oklahoma Fried Onion and Cheese; and the Big Smash, which draws inspiration from the Big Mac.
“Smashing” is the original burger-cooking technique, valentine explains. Much like “artisanal” cocktails, it’s enjoying a renaissance, thanks in large part to Motz and a new generation of cooks who are fascinated by the history and the unique flavour created by using a tool to flatten a ball of beef and hold it down for a few seconds on a hot electric griddle (or cast-iron skillet or stainless-steel pan).
“Smashing evolved out of necessity for hustling entrepreneurs to quickly feed workers outside the factories on their short breaks,” Valentine says. “Small balls of beef were smashed into hot, flat plates and served within a minute or two with a few slices of bread or a squishy bun. Maybe some onions and a pickle showed up, along with some mustard. Cheese on burgers didn't come along for at least another 30 years or so.”
Bodhi Valentine says simplicity is key when it comes to a good burger.
Valentine uses grass-fed, organic BC beef, and, beginning June 30, all four kits will be available with ground Impossible Burger and vegan and vegetarian ingredient alternatives. Each kit and comes with Martin’s Potato Rolls—known for their buttery “famous Dutch taste”—complete with “heel”, “club” (which goes in the middle), and “crown”. Valentine shares cooking tips via video links, with the patties taking 1.5 minutes to cook, plus two minutes to toast and “dope” the buns.
Each kit ($39.99) contains pre-measured ingredients with all the fixings, serves four, and comes in zero-waste packaging. One dollar—the cost to plant one tree—from every kit ordered goes to TreeEra’s planting program. (Kits can be picked up from the East van commissary Burgerland Smash Up operates out of, or they’re available for delivery.)
Burgerland Smash Up might not have come to be were it not for the economic fallout of COVID-19. Before the pandemic, Valentine was working as director of marketing for a local tech start-up that focused on grocery delivery service for small business owners, which exploded when everything went into lockdown.
“Unfortunately, things eventually slowed down and I was laid off in November—which sucked,” says Valentine, who has three kids ranging in age from four to 11. “But then I started reflecting on the many different entrepreneurs I met and chatted with who managed to channel their own passions into awesome little businesses on Instagram selling their cookies, cakes, and all sorts of other cool stuff, and realized my dream of opening a burger stand might be on hold but I could help others make better burgers at home by curating the best recipes and ingredients and demonstrate how quick, easy, and fun it is to smash burgers at home.”
An amazing burger, in Valentine’s view, is made from any recipe that highlights the true star of the show—the beef (or plant-based protein, though for him, it’s the meat version that beats all the rest). “Simplicity is key, which is why a recipe like our Oklahoma Fried Onion & Cheese Kit is my favourite all-time burger,” he says. “It’s my mission to help everyone make better burgers, regardless of protein preferences.”
More info is at Burgerland Smash Up.
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