History Overview
Döner kebab, or, in short, döner, is known almost all over the world. Sure, ingredients and sauces vary, and they often come under a different name. Shawarma, gyros, tacos al pastor, sufllaqe or kabab Torki are some of its derivations. But the basics of the döner remain the same: beaten pieces of meat are seasoned with suet, local herbs and spices, skewered on a spit and grilled vertically. Originally, the meat used for döner kebab was lamb. Nowadays, in Istanbul, it is made of a mixture of lamb and beef, or even beef.
The Origin of Döner Kebab
Most anthropologists claim that cooking fires started around 250,000 years ago, yet there is no clear evidence of the beginning of cooking in human history. Since the day mankind began using fire for cooking, maybe some kind of kebab has been eaten. In Sumerian, kabuba means to cook ember, and in Arabic, it means to fry meat. In the Turkish period, it gained today’s meaning: grilled or broiled meat on a (vertical) skewer or stick.
Kebabs are known to come from an earlier period when Nomadic tribesmen grilled their swords with meat. The Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi references the kebab as a horizontal stack of meat in his travel books of the 18th century. With a new angle, vertical grilling and serving it in thin slices, Iskender Efendi from Bursa contributed to the kebab in the 1860s. As a novelty in the history of Turkish cuisine, the döner kebab, which literally means rotating kebab, stands out.
Famous Döner Kebab Dishes
The overview below is by no means a full list of all available Döner dishes. It's just a taste of some that you may want during your stay to check out. These dishes can be found all over the area, whether in a trendy little restaurant or a modest one.
- 1. Döner Kebab is served in various ways. The meat used can be lamb, lamb and beef or chicken. In restaurants, it comes mostly on a plate with rice or fried potatoes, and on the side with salad. Since it has recently become a fast-food dish too, you can also get it as a sandwich in between pide – pita-like traditional thick bread.
- 2. Döner Dürüm is another very delicious serving style of döner meat which is wrapped in lavaş – tortilla-like thin loaves of bread. Complementary ingredients such as green salad, fried potatoes, pickles or hot tomato sauce are optional. So ask yourself what you can have in the wrap and add or omit according to your taste. Sometimes dürüm is made with grilled minced meat brochettes mounted on a wide skewer, again wrapped in lavaş. There's no better or worse, it's all about preference.
- 3. İskender Kebab is the döner meat served on pieces of pide dressed with butter and yogurt on a side of the plate. If preferred, tomato sauce and extra butter can be used for dressing. It is also known as Bursa Kebabı.