10 Burger Variations Around The World

You probably associate burgers with America. But even though Americans eat 14 billion burgers every year, which equates to almost 440 burgers per second, consumption all over the world is high, too: American-style burgers account for 60 percent of all the sandwiches sold in a year — around the globe. 

Little-known outside of Malaysia's night markets, these tiny burgers consist of sambal-spiced anchovies (sambal ikan bilis) and a slice of cucumber between fried, doughnut-like bread. They are colloquially — and confusingly — referred to as "Burger Malaysia," which is also the name for a regular burger in that country. 

Cemita can refer to both the sandwich — which typically consists of beef milanesa (pounded, breaded, and fried beef), a mild white cheese, avocado, onions, leaves of the soapy-tasting herb pápalo, and red chile sauce — or the sesame seeded bun that holds these contents.  

Though chivito means "little goat," this burger-like sandwich commonly holds beef churrasco, mozzarella, tomatoes, mayo, olives, bacon, ham, and eggs. It is one of Uruguay's national dishes. One of the most hamburger-like things about it is that it is usually accompanied by fries. 

Koobideh means "beaten" in Farsi; this Persian minced meat kebob is named after the traditional cooking method of placing meat on a flat stone and smashing it with a wooden mallet. The meat, usually beef or lamb, is minced twice for a finer consistency, and parsley and onions are usually added to the mince. In Iran, it is commonly eaten on sangak flatbread.  

Though loco moco can use various types of meat or seafood, the traditional loco moco consists of a bed of rice topped with a hamburger patty and fried egg, all blanketed in brown gravy. Though invented in Honolulu, it is a popular dish throughout the Polynesian islands. 

Served with mustard, pickles, and fries, this non-burger burger, made of ground mixed meat rolls (beef, lamb, and pork) spiced with garlic, pepper, thyme, coriander, and anise, is not eaten with bread. It's delicious enough that you won't miss the roll — especially when you drink it with a cold beer. So popular and beloved is mititei that it was exempt from a junk food tax (jokingly called "McTaxa") the Romanian government was thinking of imposing in order to reduce obesity rates. 

Mitraillette consists of a fried hamburger patty, sausage, or frikandel (minced meat hot dog) on top of a demi-baguette, which is then topped with fries and andalouse sauce (mayonnaise, tomato paste, and peppers), aïoli, béarnaise, mayonnaise, or ketchup. In some areas, this sandwich is referred to as "le américain." 

Pljeskavica consists of two or more ground meats (beef, lamb, pork, and/or veal) shaped into a patty. It is served differently in various areas. In Belgrade, the patty is served with a variety of side dishes, but in other parts of the Balkans it is eaten in between buns, like a hamburger, or on top of kaymak, a clotted cream-like dairy product. 

Rou jia mo is a common street food found all over China consisting of pork (or other meat) that has been stewed in a soup containing over 20 different spices and seasonings for hours before being placed in between two slices of "mo," a wheat flour bread that is baked in a clay oven. No one rou jia mo will taste exactly like another, due to the different spices different vendors prefer, as well as the quality of the bread —steamed buns or mass-manufactured bread are easier to procure or make than clay oven-baked bread. 

The only veggie burger on this list, vada pav consists of a potato patty deep-fried in chickpea flour inside a soft white bun, usually topped with mint or tamarind (or both) chutneys. Before being fried, the potatoes are mashed and spiced with commonly used Indian spices like turmeric, mustard seeds, garlic, and chile peppers. It is an iconic Bombay street food.