HISTORY of DONER KEBAB From the Doner Kebab Expert
What is Doner Kebab
Doner kebab is seasoned meat, usually beef, lamb, or chicken, stacked on a vertical spit and roasted slowly as it turns. The cook shaves thin slices off the outside as it crisps, and serves them in bread, in a wrap, or over rice. The name comes from the Turkish “dönmek,” to turn.
Where does doner kebab come from?
Doner kebab as we know it was born in the Ottoman Empire in the 1800s, when cooks in Bursa turned the traditional horizontal kebab spit upright. The vertical spit let the fat baste the meat as it turned instead of dripping into the fire, and the result was juicier meat with a crisp edge on every slice. From Turkey it traveled with Turkish immigrants across Europe, where the doner became one of the most eaten street foods in the world, and eventually to kitchens like ours in Orange County.
At DonerG we still make it the original way: meat stacked and seasoned in house, roasted on the vertical spit, and carved fresh to order. It is the dish our name comes from, and this page is the story of where it began.
A walk through Istanbul
When exploring the streets of Istanbul, there is never a dull moment. Whether you are hearing the call to prayer from the gorgeous mosques that dot the city skyline, a simitci (Turkish bagel vendor) calling you to his cart, the horns of a ferry announcing its arrival at the docks of the Bosphorus, or the honking taxi warning pedestrians to pick up the pace, your heart will be racing with excitement. And the smells, oh the smells! Perhaps the most iconic among them– the tantalizing aroma of döner kebap (doner kebab). As the combinations of lamb, beef, and chicken turn on their spits over open flames, you may find your mouth watering. Watching. Waiting patiently for the dönerci to shave thin slices of juicy meat into lavash, top with lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, generous squeezes of lemon, and sprinkle with sumac before handing it over to you with a smile. At DonerG, it is our family roots and these memories that bring such an authentic experience to our Southern California restaurants.
Names of Doner Kebab
“Doner kebab” itself translates to “spinning meat”. As this style of spit roasting spread through Ottoman lands, the name was inducted into many languages. شاورما shawarma in Arabic-speaking regions, the word rooted in the Turkish word çevirme (also meaning to spin). You can get a taste of this dish by trying our Doner Pita Sandwich. γύρος (gyros) in Greek, altered from the original to be made with pork and served with tzatziki. Our halal Doner Kebab Rice Plate brings these unique Meditteranean flavors together using the freshest ingredients. Lebanese families who immigrated to Mexico brought shawarma with them. Spit roasted meat paired with Mexican spices and served in a tortilla instead of pita or lavash bread became an ever popular street food known as tacos al pastor or tacos árabes. Our Doner Wrap is a unique take on these Mexican favorites, wrapped to perfection in a soft flour tortilla. Turkish expats called to work in Germany after the WWII also brought döner with them, a street food rising so rapidly in popularity since 1969 that Germany is now known as the doner capital of the world! If you tell a German national you are Turkish, the first thing they want to talk to you about is how much they love doner.
Where to get the best Doner Kebab in the USA?
So now that doner has made its way here and is growing in its demand, are you ready to experience the spiced-to-perfection satisfaction of biting into thinly shaved, marinated doner kebab? You don’t have to book a trip to the Mediterranean to get a taste because the best doner kebab in the USA is right here in Orange County. We wonder, what will your dipping style be? A tahini-based sauce or a zesty yogurt one. Maybe you will think like the Germans and prefer a spicy ketchup. Will you have it dürüm-style (rolled up in bread), our Berlin Wrap, or over rice with a side of perfectly grilled veggies, our Doner Kebab Rice Plate? Our Istanbowl saves you from having to choose between chicken or beef doner. Why choose when you can savor both! And of course there is no authentic doner kebab experience like a cold glass of Housemade Kefir (refreshing probiotic yogurt drink). Don’t forget to finish your meal with decadent baklava for desert! You can choose between Walnut Pistachio Baklava, Chocolate Walnut Baklava, or keep it classic with the Walnut Baklava.
At DonerG, we have been bringing you a taste of our cultural heritage and the modern updates of the West for 25 years. Will you join us at our sofra (table)? Stay tuned for our next blog, where we will be diving into the origin stories of our many other kebab varieties!