The hamburger wasn’t invented in the United States. Not in Europe either. It was invented in Xi’an, China, more than 2,000 years ago. It’s called roujiamo (肉夹馍) — literally “meat inside bread” — and it’s still the bestselling street food in the city’s Muslim Quarter.
This is the traditional recipe, documented so you can make it at home.
What roujiamo actually is
A pan-baked flatbread filled with beef (or lamb in the Hui version) braised for 8 hours in a master sauce of 20 spices. The bread should crackle outside and stay tender inside. The meat should fall apart.
- Origin: Qin dynasty, 3rd century BCE
- Protected: Shaanxi origin designation
- Street price in Xi’an: 10–15 CNY (~€1.50)
- The secret: the lǔzhī (卤汁), a master sauce passed down for years
Ingredients (makes 4 roujiamo)
For the braised meat
- 600 g beef brisket or shank
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 slice of fresh ginger
- 2 star anise
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (花椒)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cloves
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- Salt to taste
For the bread (baijimo, 白吉馍)
- 300 g bread flour
- 180 ml warm water
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- Pinch of salt
Method
1. The meat — do this the day before
Blanch the beef: cold water, bring to the boil, simmer 5 minutes, discard the scummy water and rinse the meat. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in oil until golden. Add the spices — star anise, Sichuan pepper, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, bay — and toast for 30 seconds. Add the meat, soy sauce, sugar, wine and enough water to cover. Simmer on the lowest heat for 3 hours, covered. The beef should yield to a fork. Leave it to rest overnight in its braising liquid. By morning the flavour will be in every fibre.
2. The bread — 1 hour
Mix flour, salt and yeast. Add the warm water gradually until you have a smooth dough. Knead for 8 minutes. Cover and prove for 45 minutes. Divide into 4 balls and shape each into a 10 cm disc. Dry-fry on a medium pan for 3 minutes per side, until concentric rings appear — the signature pattern of baijimo.
3. Assembly
Lift the meat from its sauce, chop it finely with a heavy knife along with a few coriander leaves and a green chilli if you like. Slice each bread halfway through. Stuff the meat in, spoon a little of the braising sauce on top. Eat immediately.
Where to eat it in Xi’an
The Muslim Quarter (回民街) is the obvious destination. For purists, head to Lao Sun Jia or Tong Sheng Xiang — institutions that have been making roujiamo for generations. Avoid the chain versions outside the historic centre.
Original recipe in Spanish: roujiamo paso a paso. For the city, see Xi’an in 3 days.
