Are These Two Popular Sandwiches Really Burgers With Chinese Characteristics?

You're never that far from a burger in Beijing these days, and of course, the city's beef lovers must look no further than the 10th annual Beijing Burger Festival on Wangjing Walk, presented by the Beijinger and JSS.

Buy your early bird tickets right now and get some great burger/superhero swag!

But if you're looking for a burger with a little more local flavor then our fair city can oblige you there, too. Roujiamo and donkey meat sandwiches, two equally popular, yet vastly different, dishes, are both often referred to as "Chinese burgers" thanks to their essential "meat in bread" characteristics. To be honest, we're inclined to believe that the term "burger" sells these complex sandwiches far short. However, there is no doubt that they share the indulgent, guilty pleasure characteristics of a burger, especially when enjoyed as a late-night snack.

Roujiamo

When it comes to "Chinese burgers," no sandwich is cited more often than the roujiamo (肉夹馍). Thought by some to date back as far as the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC), although probably more realistically to the early Tang dynasty (AD 618-907), the roujiamo has a strong claim to being "the world's first hamburger." Originating in Shaanxi province, roujiamo have since become a popular snack all over China.

Literally meaning "meat stuffed in bread," to make this dish a dense baked bun (a baijiamo, 白夹馍) is split open and stuffed with meat that has been long-braised in a complex mixture of spices. The meat is usually chopped by hand with a cleaver to ensure a good mix of lean meat and fat. Pork roujiamo are the most common nowadays, but you will find beef or lamb versions served at Muslim restaurants, particularly in cities like Xi'an. Popular add-ins include green peppers, cilantro, and chili oil. 

Roujiamo are usually enjoyed as a cheap snack or street food, often alongside a bowl of noodles. However, we're occasionally partial to the cute miniature version served at upscale Shaanxi restaurant Zhen Ai Zhongguo. They are also a traditional partner for liangpi, cold noodles made from rice or wheat gluten tossed in sesame-chili sauce, which you can sample at city-wide chain Weijia Liangpi.

Donkey meat sandwiches

Look, we get it, the mere mention of donkey meat is enough to put a lot of people off. But if you let your squeamishness get the best of you, you'll be missing out on one of northern China's tastiest snacks. Lǘròu huǒshāo (驴肉火烧), as they're called in Chinese, are thought to have originated in either Baoding or Hejian in Hebei province during the late Ming dynasty, gaining popularity during the Qing dynasty when the expansion of the rail network meant donkeys were no longer essential for transporting goods. Donkey meat is so popular in this part of China that there is even a popular saying, "In heaven, there is dragon meat; on earth, there is donkey meat."

Like the meat in a roujiamo, the donkey in these "burgers" is braised in a variety of fragrant spices, giving it a taste and texture not completely unlike corned beef. This meat is then chopped (sometimes with green peppers or cilantro, similar to roujiamo) and stuffed inside a crisp pastry-like shell, which may be pan-fried or baked depending on the vendor. To our minds, the long, rectangular shape of these disqualifies them from being a burger in the truest sense but then, the word huoshao is hard to translate so we don't blame the person who came up with the name "donkey burger." Small places selling donkey meat sandwiches can be found across the city but city-wide chain Wang Pangzi is generally considered one of the best (there are convenient branches in Gulou and Houhai if you need a quick lunch after sightseeing).

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Photos: Wikimedia, Robynne Tindall