Chinese hamburger

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Ròujiāmó is a type of street food from Shaanxi province, often described as a meat-filled flatbread that has become one of the most recognizable snacks from the region. Its roots go back centuries, reflecting the long-standing bread culture of northern China, where wheat rather than rice dominates the diet. Over time, the idea of baking or pan-frying a dense, chewy flatbread and filling it with slow-cooked meat found a strong foothold in Xi’an and its surroundings, where food traditions were shaped by the city’s position as the starting point of the Silk Road. The preparation begins with the bread, called báijiǎo or mò, made from wheat flour, water, and a leavening agent. The dough is kneaded, left to rest, then shaped into discs and baked or griddled until crisp on the outside and soft within. The filling most commonly uses pork belly, simmered with soy sauce, rice wine, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, and other aromatics for several hours until tender enough to shred. The meat is chopped finely with a cleaver before being packed into the warm bread, soaking into its crumb and creating a balance between chewy and juicy textures. In Muslim communities of the region, beef or lamb replaces pork, giving rise to variations equally tied to local identity. Today it is eaten not only at roadside stalls and markets in Xi’an but also in cities across China where it has become a common fast food, enjoyed on its own or alongside bowls of liangpi cold noodles or soups. It pairs well with hot green tea in winter or with sour plum juice in warmer months, each beverage cutting through the richness of the meat.