Chethma De Mel, Jadetimes Staff
C. J. De Mel is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Entertainment News
A recent move by the Turkish government to have döner kebab officially recognized as a Turkish specialty has set off quite a lively debate over Germany's favorite street food. In Berlin, at any rate, where döner kebab is about as common as bratwurst, people from all walks of life enjoy it daily-from office workers in search of a quick lunch to late-night revelers looking for a snack.
Berlin's variety consists of spice-rubbed beef stacked on a vertical spit, served in pita bread with crunchy salad and garlic yogurt. This is a variation of the more traditional Turkish variety, which involves serving it on rice with salad. But under Turkey's proposal to the European Commission, only döner kebabs prepared according to specific preparation rules could continue to bear the name - which would exclude Berlin's version.
That was a surprise for the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Germany, underlining the cultural relevance of döner in Germany, where the sandwich has become an icon of diversity. The Berlin-style döner was invented in the 1970s, credited to Turkish immigrants Mehmet Aygün and Kadir Nurman, who adapted it into the portable food format that would soon have favor with the busy streets of Germany. Nowadays, the industry generates an estimated €2.3 billion annually in Germany alone, proof of its impact.
Berlin has over 1,000 döner shops, many of them modern purveyors like Kebap with Attitude, which has fusion takes that include vegan and truffle-infused versions. But Turkey's proposal would tightly constrain such creativity - down, quite literally, to the width of every slice of meat and the components of marinades.
Mary Işın, a culinary historian, claims döner itself is a dish that has evolved; once made only with lamb in Turkey, now it is dominated by beef. According to her, döner is a food staple with centuries-old roots in Ottoman cuisine, and the rotating spits likely were developed from portable roasting.
At the same time, the European Commission calls for dialogue by Turkey and Germany over the issue. The debate over döner underlines foodstuffs' common legacy and the power of nutrition in bringing cultures together beyond borders. Whether in Berlin, Sydney, or Istanbul, the döner is a popular global dish that links people with its flavor and cultural history.
