The Chinese Street Food That's Been Called The 'World's Oldest Burger'

Digging into a juicy hamburger can give you an instant dopamine rush, creating a symphony of flavors in your mouth that is nothing short of pure joy. For millions, especially in the United States, a hamburger is first love. Americans consume nearly three a week on average — enough to circle the Earth 32 times yearly. That's a heck of a lot of hamburgers! But which direction would you point on the map if we were to ask you to guess the origins of this crowd-puller?

Traditionally credited to Hamburg, Germany, the origins of the hamburger are far more complex and quite fascinating. While a Roman cookbook dating back to the first century references a similar dish, footprints of this multilayered delight in the West have also been found in the East in the delicious layers of a 2,200-year-old Chinese dish. Described by some as "the world's oldest hamburger," roujiamo (which translates to "meat in bread") is made by stuffing chopped meat inside a bun and draws a fascinating parallel to modern iterations. These savory snacks have stood the test of time and have been a staple since the Qin dynasty, from about 221 B.C. to 207 B.C., adding to the enticingly complex past of what we call a hamburger today.

For centuries, roujiamo — also known as roujiam, rougamo, or occasionally "Chinese hamburger" in the U.S. — has been closely associated with Xi'an, the historic north-central city in Shaanxi province. It was here where it was once served as a royal delicacy, though the meat seasoning in the dish goes even farther back to the Warring States period (475 to 221 B.C.). While lamb or beef can be used as an alternative, pork remains the most commonly used meat in this ancient culinary treasure. Traditionally, it's stewed for hours in a broth called lazhi, which is infused with over 20 spices. Unlike the modern hamburger, which can be gorged on the go, this one might require you to sit down.

The elaborate list of spices is often linked with the Silk Road, as Xi'an was the eastern terminus of the ancient trade route for spices beginning in 202 B.C.. For a premium taste in a roujiamo, the Chinese use aged stock, or master stock, to braise the meat — the recipes of these cooking liquids are believed to have been simmering for centuries. The bun used in roujiamo is a soft, handmade flatbread called baijimo or mo, which is made with wheat flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, oil, water, and salt and baked in an oven. It is known for its chewy texture. A Chinese scholar and diplomat named Ban Chao — whose campaigns facilitated trade and cultural exchange along the Silk Road — is often credited with introducing such Central Asian-style flatbreads to China.

Though it's an Asian dish you've probably never heard of, roujiamo has gained a devoted following among epicureans worldwide. In the U.S., for example, it features prominently on the menu at Xi'an Famous Foods. However, it's rare to find two roujiamo that taste exactly alike — not only because each family has its own unique generational recipe, but also because vendors have varying preferences for the spices used in the world's oldest burger. The quality of the bread plays a significant role as well, and clay oven-baked bread is not always a viable option. Many vendors opt for steamed buns or mass-produced bread, which are easier to source, while others fry the buns in a pan before stuffing them with the savory meat filling.

As times evolve and make more room for innovation, the more rustic styles of roujiamo are gradually giving way to modern twists, even in China. But its growing popularity across the globe is a testament to the enduring legacy of this meaty, juicy delight — one that is likely to keep thriving, perhaps in a modernized form.