How China is making the burger its own

AT FIRST GLANCEKFC, 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. (11,000) and local brand Wallace (18,000) still lead the fast-food industry.