Rou jia mo is a Chinese street food of slow-stewed, finely chopped meat stuffed into a crisp, baked flatbread (mo). Often called the Chinese hamburger or burger, it predates the Western burger by centuries and hails from Shaanxi.

Why is rou jia mo called the Chinese hamburger?

Because it is chopped meat served inside a split round bread, resembling a burger in form. The name is a modern convenience; the dish itself is an ancient Shaanxi specialty far older than the American hamburger.

What meat is used in rou jia mo?

Traditionally pork, slow-braised for hours in a richly spiced broth until meltingly tender, then chopped. In the Muslim quarters of Xi'an, a halal version uses cumin-spiced beef or lamb instead.

What is the bread made of?

Mo is a simple wheat-flour flatbread, baked or griddled so it is crisp outside and soft within, sturdy enough to hold the juicy meat. The contrast of crisp bread and tender filling is central to the dish.

Rou Jia Mo Is China's Oldest Sandwich

China's oldest sandwich: a clay-oven flatbread stuffed with pork braised for hours in 20+ spices. Xi'an's Muslim Quarter night market is where to find it.

About Rou Jia Mo

China's oldest sandwich, a terracotta-coloured flatbread (mo) split open and stuffed with a mound of pork belly slow-braised for hours in a spiced broth of more than 20 aromatics including star anise, cinnamon and cumin; the bread absorbs the fat; sold at Xi'an's Muslim Quarter night market since the Qin Dynasty.

China's Oldest Sandwich

Rou jia mo is often called China's original sandwich: a baked wheat flatbread, the mo, split and stuffed with meat braised for hours until meltingly soft. The classic Xi'an version uses pork belly slow-cooked in a master stock of more than twenty spices, including star anise, cinnamon and cumin. The bread soaks up the rich braising fat.

“Rou jia mo is often called China's original sandwich: a baked wheat flatbread, the mo, split and stuffed with meat braised for hours until meltingly soft.”

Rou Jia Mo, China cuisine, photo 2 — Rou Jia Mo, China

The Bread

The mo is a simple round of wheat dough baked, traditionally against the wall of a clay oven, until the outside is crisp and the inside stays soft. Its sturdiness is the point, holding the chopped meat and a ladle of braising liquid without falling apart. A good mo has a faint chew and a toasted, slightly blistered crust.

The Braise

The filling is built on a long-simmered spiced stock, the lu, that braising kitchens keep going and replenish over time, deepening with every batch. The pork emerges tender enough to chop on a board with a cleaver, fat and lean together. In the Muslim Hui versions of the northwest, beef or lamb replaces the pork.

Xi'an and the Silk Road

Rou jia mo belongs to Xi'an, the eastern end of the Silk Road, and its spicing reflects that history, cumin and other aromatics arriving from Central Asia and meeting Chinese braising technique. It is street food above all, chopped and stuffed to order at the city's bustling Muslim Quarter markets. Fresh from a high-turnover stall, with extra braising liquid, is how it is best.

What to Expect

At the Muslim Quarter in Xi'an the rou jia mo vendor chops the braised pork directly on a board and stuffs it into the bread with a ladle of braising liquid. The bread is immediately soaked through.

Why Try It

Rou jia mo reflects Xi'an's Silk Road history, with cumin and caraway in the broth originating from Central Asia, while the pork is Chinese.

Insider Tips

Order from stalls with the highest turnover, freshly braised pork versus reheated is a significant difference.
Xi'an's Huimin Street night market is the best location.
Ask for extra braising liquid in the bread.

Rou Jia Mo

Good to know