There’s nothing more Turkish than a Doner Kebab

The archetypal Doner Kebab is a Turkish dish made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, normally lamb but sometimes beef or chicken. The sliced meat may be served wrapped or as a sandwich instead of being served on a plate. As far as Turkish fast food is concerned, the doner kebab ranks as the number one dirty treat!

While the doner kebab is a common fast-food item in Turkey, it has also spread throughout Europe and Australia, and also now eaten voraciously in Japan and South Korea. In the Middle-East, shawarma is very similar to the doner kebab, although this refers only to the vertical roast, rather than the sandwich form.

There are many ways of serving the doner kebab, but two of the most popular methods are with durum (like a wrap) or in a long hotdog-like bread roll called Ekmekarasi. Tombik pide is another way of serving doner kebab, and this is like a burger bap. Of course, the meat can be served on its own, straight off the vertical spit, without the need for bread or wraps.

My first taste of the classic doner was in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. I paid around 4TL for the treat, and it was an amazing meal! From then on, I have been hooked on this kebab (albeit not every day!) and when you add the tomato, onions, and other ingredients in the durum or pide then it just creates a concoction of flavourful pizzazz that leaves a lasting impression.