"There is dragon meat in heaven, while donkey meat is on earth" is the highest praise for donkey meat. In Hebei, there is a famous snack made from donkey meat that is well-known to everyone, and that is Donkey Burger.
Donkey Burger is an extremely popular traditional snack in the North China region, originating from areas such as Hejian City in Baoding, Hebei Province, Hengshui City, and Dacheng County in Langfang City. It has become widely spread in the central plain of Hebei. The marinated donkey meat is sandwiched between crispy huoshao, a type of baked bread. Donkey Burger has undergone continuous development and promotion, eventually gaining fame throughout the country. Shops selling Donkey Burger can be found everywhere in the streets and alleys of North China, seamlessly integrated into the lives of local residents. The most noticeable difference between Hejian Donkey Burger and Baoding Donkey Burger is that the latter is round, while the former is rectangular.
Among the various ways of consuming donkey meat, Donkey Burger is the most common. Among the different types of Donkey Burgers, Hejian Donkey Burger is considered to be of top quality. Hejian Prefecture has a historical reputation for its abundant water and grass, resulting in particularly delicious donkey meat. The authentic Hejian Donkey Burger, found in the vicinity of Hebei, is sourced from Hejian. It is cooked by using the ancestral cooking techniques passed down by the shop owners, thus the donkey meat turns out to be reddish, tender, and incredibly tasty.
Donkey meat is first seared over high heat and then simmered over low heat, combined with nearly 20 different seasonings. The cooking time is long, resulting in a thorough doneness, a tender and fresh appearance, a meaty aroma without being dry, a long-lasting and delightful taste, and a crispy and soft texture. In medical books, donkey meat is described as beneficial for blood, qi, and deficiency. This suggests that donkey meat not only has a delicious taste but also offers health benefits. Modern medical research has shown that donkey meat is a low-fat, high-protein food, and it also contains relatively high levels of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Donkey Burger enjoys a great reputation in the catering markets of North China, such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.
The origin and history of this delicious Donkey Burger, when and where it began, unfortunately, cannot be accurately verified nowadays. What remains for people are legendary stories passed down through generations that are associated with ancient emperors. Interestingly, although most of the origin legends of Donkey Burger are related to ancient emperors, the protagonists and inventors of this delicacy are often ordinary local commoners. The invention process involves no forced connections but rather occurs naturally. There is a song that goes like this, "in the stories, things that are said may or may not be true are all true." We don't have to take the legends too seriously, but we are willing to believe that Donkey Burger is indeed born out of the wisdom of the working people's lives.
