Donkey burger

Donkey burger
Course Snack, Side dish
Place of origin Baoding and Hejian, China
Serving temperature Hot
Main ingredients Donkey meat, bread

A donkey burger (Chinese: 驴肉火烧; pinyin: lǘròu huǒshāo), or sometimes abbreviated as 驴火(lǘhuǒ), is a kind of sandwich commonly eaten in Baoding and Hejian, Hebei Province, China,[1][2] where it is considered a local specialty, though it may also be found in other parts of China, particularly in northeastern China.[1][3] Chopped or shredded donkey meat or offal is placed within a huǒshāo or shao bing, a roasted, semi-flaky bread pocket,[1] and eaten as a snack or as part of a meal. The meat is typically served cold in a warm huoshao and often includes green pepper[1] or cilantro leaves. Donkey burger is a popular street food[3] and can also be found on the menus of high-end restaurants.

A well-known saying, especially in Baoding (and elsewhere in Hebei province), is "In Heaven there is dragon meat, on Earth there is donkey meat" (天上龙肉，地上驴肉).

Hejian-style donkey burgers

Donkey burgers have two styles: Baoding style and Hejian style. Baoding style uses round huoshao, while Hejian style uses rectangluar huoshao.

Donkey burgers have been traced to the Ming Dynasty.[1] According to legend, the military of Yongle Emperor had nothing to eat, so soldiers began to kill and eat their horses. The local people then also began to eat horse meat; however, since horses were a valuable resource, common people substituted donkey meat and considered it tastier.

Donkey burgers became popular towards the end of the Qing dynasty after the Beijing-Hankou railway line was built, as donkeys were no longer needed to transport goods in and out of Beijing. When departing from Beijing, Baoding is the first major city on the Beijing-Hankou railroad. The traditional freight industry was hit particularly hard there, and as a result, donkey burgers became most popular in Baoding.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Donkey Burger". Atlas Obscura. November 13, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Donkey burger city vows to check fake meat". Xinhua. March 21, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Around the world in 8 tasty hamburgers". CBC. May 28, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.

Further reading

  • "Chinese authorities warn that donkey burgers may actually be horse, pig or mule". Hong Kong Free Press. January 9, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
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