Döner kebab

Döner kebab (Turkish "döner kebap", literally "turning roast"), is a Turkish national dish made of meat cooked on a vertical spit and sliced off to order. The meat may be lamb, mutton, beef, goat, or chicken. Alternative names include kebab, donair, döner, ντονερ, doner or donner. Döner Kebab is the origin of other similar Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes such as shawarma and gyros. A version developed to suit German tastes by Turkish immigrants in Berlin has become one of Germany's most popular fast food dishes, [cite web|url=http://www.welt.de/print-wams/article618487/Kulturgeschichte_der_Doenerbuden.html |title=Kulturgeschichte der Dönerbuden | work=Welt am Sonntag |author=Von Dirk Krampitz |date=2001-12-30|accessdate=2008-09-05] and Turkish emigrants export German döners back into their home country. [cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,453300,00.html |title=Gastronomie: "Mach meinen Döner nicht an!"|language=German |section=Politik|work=Der Spiegel|accessdate=2008-09-05]

History

The original form of today's "döner kebab" is Cağ kebab. The original form is grilled horizontally and the slices are cut thicker, after inserting a special L-shaped "Oltu shish" along the surface. In the 19th century, the modern form was invented in Bursa. This original dish, known as İskender kebap, is still served in many cities of Turkey.

Today, "döner kebab" is typically served with meat, a kind of sandwich in a small "pide" (Turkish pita bread). The "döner kebab" with salad and sauce served in pita, which is predominant in Germany, was invented in Berlin-Kreuzberg in 1971, because the original preparation was not appealing enough to German tastes. The döner has been among the most popular fast food dishes in Germany since the 1980s.Fact|date=May 2007

Preparation of meat for döner kebabs

The meat used for making döner kebabs may be lamb, beef, veal or chicken, and rarely pork. Generally a döner kebab sandwich is served with a salad made from shredded lettuce, tomatoes and onions, often also with cabbage and cucumbers. Usually there is a choice between a hot sauce, a yoghurt sauce containing garlic (tzatziki) and a yoghurt sauce containing herbs. The donairs made in Atlantic (Eastern) Canada are almost always made with a sweetened garlic sauce, and this sauce (called donair sauce) is also used as a dipping sauce for garlic fingers. Most of the kebab vendors in Europe also have French fries which can be served as a side or wrapped with the meat and salad. Some times more varied ingredients are available, such as hummous (chick pea paste), tahini (sesame paste) or Turkish white cheese. Donair pizzas are available in Atlantic Canada as well, and feature donair meat, donair sauce, tomatoes, and onions as toppings.

There are two basic ways of preparing meat for döner kebabs:
* The most common and authentic method is to stack seasoned slices of lean meat onto a vertical skewer in the shape of a cylinder. The stack is cooked by radiant infrared heat from electric elements or gas fired burners. Often, tomatoes, and onions are placed at the top of the stack to drip juices over the meat keeping it moist.
* Some cheaper shops serve a combination of seasoned sliced and ground meat cooked on a grilltop as "döner kebab". In Germany the amount of ground meat is not allowed to surpass 60% ("Berliner Verkehrsauffassung").

Cultural effects

In Europe, the packaging of the Döner itself is typically a wax paper sleeve with an image of a male cook sharpening a knife in front of a large spit.

ee also

* Döner kebab in the world
* Dürüm
* Taco al pastor, a similar dish from Mexico, made from spiced pork and served in a tortilla.
* Gyros

External links

* [http://thechillisource.net The Chilli Source] - reviews of UK kebab shops together with descriptions of the common types.

References