Döner, a German Food

Today I read an article in the Badische Zeitung about Döner in Seattle sold at a stand called The Berliner. As such, the Turkish dish of (preferably) lamb meat cooked on a vertical spit and sliced off got a German flavor. The Turkish name for this delicious food is döner kebap, i.e., "rotating roast." A döner must not be confused with gyros, which is widely known in the States.

Slicing meat off a döner kebab's grilled surface (Photo taken from Wikipedia)

As background information, we read on Wikipedia: "A döner version developed to suit German tastes by Turkish immigrants in Berlin has become one of Germany's most popular fast-food dishes. Annual sales in Germany amount to 2.5 billion euros. Veal and chicken are widely used instead of lamb, particularly by vendors with large ethnic German customer bases, for whom lamb is traditionally less preferred."

Serving döner in Seattle is not easy, because beef or chicken is stacked on the vertical rotating spit instead of the original lamb. The Turkish bread called pide, which accompanies the meat, is unknown in the State of Washington. Thus, Victor, the owner of the fast-food restaurant, asked for it to be specially baked. Once prepared, American Law requires that meat be consumed within half a day, so Victor uses shorter spits to grill smaller meat quantities. 

The döner varieties he offers with sauce, salad, and pide are called The Mehringdamm or, somewhat spicier, The fiery Kreuzberg, named after places in Berlin's traditional Turkish quarter. Still, Victor's many ardent customers consider döner a typical German food. One enthused girl said, upon learning that there are döner stands on every corner in Berlin, "You Germans must be happy people."

Let me know when the first döner stand opens in Madison.

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