Döner kebab (as döner kebap in Turkish and often simply Döner), which literally means "rotating roast meat" is originally a Turkish dish made with mutton.

In travelogues from the 18th century, döner kebab is described as a dish from Asia Minor, consisting of mutton grilled on vertical rotating skewers. Traditionally, it was served on a plate with rice and a hot sauce. Today, döner kebab is typically served as a kind of sandwich in pita (flat bread). This type of döner kebab has been available in Istanbul since about 1960. The döner kebab with salad and sauce served in pita, which is predominant in Germany, was invented in Berlin-Kreuzberg in the early 1970s. The meat may be lamb, beef or chicken, but not pork. After the BSE crisis (mad cow disease) even fish was used. Generally, there is a choice between a hot sauce, a yoghurt sauce containing garlic and a yoghurt sauce containing herbs. Sometimes goat cheese can be added.

There are basically two types of preparing meat: entire seasoned slices of meat assembled on the grill in the shape of a cone or a combination of sliced and gound meat. In Germany the amount of ground meat is not allowed to surpass 60% (Hackfleischverordnung). Oftentimes tomatoes are put on the meat to make it more juicy.

There do exist two variants of cutting meat from the cone: first by using a long and very sharp knive and second by using a mechanical device with a rotating disc blade. The latter produces thinner pieces of meat and thus increases the number of portions per weight.

In Germany, döner kebab is far more popular than hamburgers or sausages. Statistically, the Germans consume 200 to 300 metric tons of döner kebab per day. In 1998, they spent about €1.5 billion on döner kebab. Germany's large Turkish minority is probably the biggest reason for the widespread sale of döner kebab sandwiches there: After World War II, large numbers of Turks were invited to come to Germany as "guest workers" (Gastarbeiter), to help with the German reconstruction effort and plug a then acute labour shortage. A certain share of these Turkish workers eventually stayed in Germany and opening small food shops and takeaways was an excellent option in terms of progressing from more menial jobs.

In France, döner kebab is often referred to as sandwich grec (Greek sandwich), which may come from the similarity of this meat to the Greek Gyro. It is served either in pita bread or in a baguette, often with a dose of fries.

The doner kebab with salad and sauce in pita bread is also a very popular dish in the United Kingdom. The typical kebab supplier in the UK will offer hot chilli sauce, a barbecue sauce and garlic yoghurt-style sauce, though a mint sauce similar to raita is also common.

In Australia, kebabs are also very popular and have seen more people switching to the healthier alternative rather than McDonalds or KFC, thanks to immigration from Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Lebanon. Kebabs are usually served in pita bread, rather than in a sandwich.

See also

• Kebab for other kinds of kebab
• Gyros, a similar dish from Greece
• Shawarma, a similar dish from the Near East
• Taco al pastor, a similar dish from Mexico

External link

• A brief discourse on the doner kebab
• A search engine for doner kebab (international coverage, but still focus on German kebabs)
• Collection of Döner Kebab paper bags