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White Castle slider deemed "most influential burger" by Time magazine

Time magazine has deemed White Castle's small, square sliders "the most influential burger of all time."

The magazine listed 17 influential burgers and notes the "now-iconic square patty" that debuted in 1921 in Wichita, Kan., was the first burger to spawn a fast-food empire. By 1930, White Castle had 10 U.S. locations.

White Castle has been based in Columbus since 1934. Company vice president  Jamie Richardson told The Columbus Dispatch that "slider" has been a term of endearment for the little burgers since the 1950s.

The White Castle burger beat patties from iconic burger joints such as McDonald's and In-N-Out.

Time says of its number one choice, "Its success paved the way for the great American burger obsession."

The McDonald's burger, now sold in 34,000 locations in 118 countries, came in second.

Meanwhile, according to Time, the Burger King Whopper (No. 5 in the list) was the fast food industry’s first gimmick burger and inspired competitors to make their own “deluxe” versions, such as McDonald’s Big Mac.

 No. 9 is a little fancier. The lab-grown burger is made in a lab in the Netherlands from cow stem cells and carries a $325,000 price tag.

No. 12 was the hit burger of summer 2013. The so-called hybrid burger -- two parts ramen, one part beef patty -- drew large crowds at an outdoor food market in Brooklyn.

Time calls No. 14, the Umami Burger, the first “modernist cuisine” patty, incorporating such toppings as soy-roasted tomatoes, parmesan crisps and pickled ginger.

The least influential of the 17 burgers -- the Krusty Burger -- was inspired by "The Simpsons" fictional hangout and can be found at Universal Studios Orlando.

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