You’ve Never Heard Of A Chinese Hamburger, But You Need To Eat One
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You may not think of China when it comes to hamburgers, but the country is home to one of the oldest versions of the sandwich you know and love. The burger is made of chopped pork, beef or lamb that’s stewed for hours in a soup containing over 20 different spices and seasonings. The meat is stuffed inside of a pita-like bun. Inside the pocket, you’ll find greens like shredded lettuce, green peppers and cilantro. The bread is meant to be chewy and the meat soft, fragrant and tender.
Roujiamo, also known as the Chinese hamburger or meat burger, is a street food from the cuisine of the Shaanxi Province that can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty. It’s eaten all over China. Just like burgers in America, meat plays the central role of roujiamo. The dough for the bun, called mo, is made from wheat flour, water and yeast. The buns are baked in a clay oven to get a crispy exterior, while they remain soft inside. Just like Americanized hamburgers, Chinese hamburgers vary by each region and by each vendor. The ingredients might change and the meat blend may vary, but this street food staple remains a huge part of Chinese culture.
In Muslim regions of China, the meat is usually beef that’s cooked kabab-style and seasoned with pepper and cumin. Another name for the Chinese hamburger is bai ji la zhi roujiamo, which translates to a meat burger with special gravy in bread. It’s something to be savored and it gives American burgers a run for their money. Unlike a regular burger, you won’t feel as greasy biting into the minced lean pork. It’ll fall apart on its own, that’s how tender it should be. If you’re looking for an alternative to a burger that’ll give you all of the same satisfying components with a homecooked feel, you’ll want to try roujiamo.
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