In the country of the rising sun, hamburgers are served in a bun called hanbāgā, or just the patties served without a bun, known as hanbāgu or “hamburg”, short for “hamburg steak”.
The hanbāgu is made from minced beef, pork or a blend of the two, mixed with minced onions, egg, breadcrumbs and spices, served with brown sauce & vegetable or salad sides or ocassionally in Japanese curries. It is a popular item at home, and in casual, western style suburban restaurant chains known in Japan as “family restaurants”.
The hanbāgā is predominantly the domain of fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s. Japan has its own hamburger chains such as MOS Burger, First Kitchen and Lotteria. Local varieties include “Teriyaki” burgers, “Katsu” burgers and burgers containing shrimp, “Korokke”. Some of the more unusual examples include the “Rice Burger”, where the bun is made of rice, and the luxury 1000-yen (US$10) “Takumi Burger” (meaning “artisan taste”), featuring avocados, freshly grated wasabi and other rare seasonal ingredients.
In terms of the actual patty, there are burgers made with the famous Kobe Beef, butchered from cows that are fed with beer and massaged daily. McDonald’s Japan also recently launched a McPork burger, made with U.S. pork.
Happy Eating:-