“I can still remember when doner kebabs were sold for €3.50,” reminisced one teenager amid calls for a price brake to stop rising kebab costs.
The German capital is the birthplace of that ubiquitous European fast food, the doner kebab, and it shows.
Kebab shops line streets of many German cities, particularly in Berlin, and the scent of roasting, skewered meat is never far off.
Some two-million doner kebabs — meat wrapped in bread, topped with sauces and vegetables — are consumed a day in Germany, according to an industry association, quite a lot for a country of 83 million people. And the doner kebab has even supplanted the old stalwart, the currywurst — fried veal sausage topped with ketchup and curry powder — as the most popular fast-food dish in the country, according to a 2022 survey.
You could argue that the spinning rotissery is the main factor in this dish, it is in the name in most cultures. The type of meat used differ indeed, but most recipes I’ve read of doner kebap do include a spice marinade f.i.:
But the main thing I was going about is that the two nations share a bunch of history, and therefore culture, but after Greek independance they have tried very hard to distance themselves from each other. The main difference is that in Greece you’ll never find an option for hot sauce with your gyros, whilst in Turkey it is on offer.