How China is making the burger its own
Duck, pork, tofu—what will it be?
AT FIRST GLANCE, the burger appears like any other. But on closer inspection, something is different. Pressed between the buns is not a patty of minced beef, but morsels of roasted duck. The buns themselves are wrinkled and slightly charred. They are hand-rolled and made using traditional pastry-making techniques, says Tastien, the fast-food chain serving up this meal. If duck isn’t your thing, other options include fish-fragrant shredded pork and mapo tofu. Though not technically a hamburger, Tastien’s ads declare, “The Chinese hamburger is here!”
It appears to be popular. Last year Tastien added nearly 3,500 stores, for a total of around 6,700 in China. That is more than McDonald’s, which has 6,000, according to GeoHey, a Chinese analytics firm. KFC (11,000) and local brand Wallace (18,000) still lead the fast-food industry.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline "Step aside, Ronald"
From the January 20th 2024 edition
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