Döner kebab
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Döner kebab (Turkish döner kebap, literally "turning roast"), is a Turkish 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 kebap, donair, döner, 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,[1] and Turkish emigrants export German döners back into their home country.[2]
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[edit] 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 as 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 the most popular fast food dish in Germany since the 1980s.[citation needed]
[edit] Preparation of meat for döner kebabs
The meat used for making döner kebabs may be lamb, beef, veal or chicken, but rarely pork. After the Mad cow disease (BSE) crisis, even fish was used in some[specify] countries.[citation needed] 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. 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 sauce) or sheep milk cheese (Turkish: beyaz peynir, or "white cheese").
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 heat from electric elements or gas fired infrared burners. Often meat, 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).
[edit] See also
- Doner Kebab in the world
- Dürüm
- Kebab for other kinds of kebab
- Gyros, a Greek style version.
- Iskender kebap, döner served with tomato sauce and yoghurt.
- Shawarma, the Arabic term for a similar dish.
- Tacos al pastor, a similar dish from Mexico, made from spiced pork and served in a tortilla.
- Cağ kebab, Horizontal Doner Kebab from Erzurum
[edit] Cultural effects
In Germany 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.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.welt.de/print-wams/article618487/Kulturgeschichte_der_Doenerbuden.html
- ^ http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,453300,00.html
[edit] External links
- The Chilli Source - reviews of UK kebab shops together with descriptions of the common types.
- Kebab Journal blog community - reviews of (mostly British) kebab shops.
- Tayfur 2: Turkish Delight - Döner tribute from the demoscene (Windows PC)
- recipe for a Halifax-style donair
- Video : Preparation of Döner Kebab
- (National Association of Kebab Shops - UK)
- A list of every place in Berlin, where you can get a Döner (long)
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