Shawarma (Arabic: شاورما) is a Levantine Arab[1][2] meat preparation, where lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef, veal, or mixed meats are placed on a spit (commonly a vertical spit in restaurants), and may be grilled for as long as a day. Shavings are cut off the block of meat for serving, and the remainder of the block of meat is kept heated on the rotating spit. Although it can be served in shavings on a plate (generally with accompaniments), shawarma also refers to a pita bread sandwich or wrap made with shawarma meat. Shawarma is eaten with tabbouleh, fattoush, taboon bread, tomato, and cucumber. Toppings include tahini, hummus, pickled turnips and amba. Shawarma is a fast-food staple worldwide.
 | |
| Type | Meat or sandwich |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Meat: lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef Sandwich: Shawarma meat, pita or wrap bread, tabbouleh, fattoush, taboon bread, tomatoes, cucumbers |
Etymology
The Arabic word shawarma (/[invalid input: 'icon']ʃəˈwɑːrmə/) comes from the Turkish word çevirme [tʃeviɾˈme] “turning”, and has its origins in Anatolia.[3] It is similar to the dish called döner kebab, “turning kebab”, in Turkish, and the Greek gyros, "turned", formerly called ντονέρ /doˈner/.[4] A related Armenian dish is tarna, literally meaning “to turn”.
Preparation
Shawarma is made by alternately stacking strips of fat and pieces of seasoned meat (beef, lamb or marinated chicken) on a stick. An onion, a tomato, or a halved lemon is sometimes placed at the top of the stack for additional flavoring. The meat is roasted slowly on all sides as the spit rotates in front of, or over, a flame for hours (see rotisserie). Traditionally, a wood fire was used; currently, a gas flame is common. While specialty restaurants might offer two or more meat selections, some establishments have just one skewer.
While cooking, the meat is shaved off the stack with a large knife, an electric knife or a small circular saw, dropping to a circular tray below to be retrieved. Shawarma is eaten as a fast food, made up into a sandwich wrap with pita bread or rolled up in an Armenian Lavash flatbread together with vegetables and dressing. A variety of vegetables come with the shawarma which include: cucumber, onion, tomato, lettuce, eggplant, parsley, pickled turnips, pickled gherkins, and cabbage. One has the option to get French fries in some countries, including: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, also countries in Europe such as Romania, Germany, Bulgaria and the U.K.[5] Other options include thick cut French fries served inside the lavash to help soak up the sauce and juices keeping them inside the wrap.[6]
Dressings include: tahini (or tahina), Amba sauce (pickled mango with Chilbeh), hummus, or flavored with vinegar and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Chicken shawarma is served with garlic mayonnaise, toum (garlic sauce), pomegranate concentrate, or skhug (a hot chili sauce). Once the shawarma is made, it might be dipped in the fat dripping from the skewer and then briefly seared against the flame.
In Saudi Arabia, goat is as common as beef or lamb. Less common alternatives include fish and sausage. Some shawarma stores use hot dog buns or baguettes, but most have pita and lavash.
Regional variations
In Arab countries such as Syria and Lebanon, shawarma (شاورما) is a popular street food served with many different garnishes and toppings. Most of the Arab countries produce shawarma the same way, using a large rotating meat cone, the meat is shaved off the cone. The meat could be either lamb or chicken. The shaved meat is then placed inside pita bread or (markook) bread. The garnishes are usually either tahini sauce or yogurt sauce. Following this, there are choices of tomato, cucumber, pickles, hummus, shredded lettuce or onion. The sandwich can also be ordered as a meal. This would include sides of french fries and Arabic pickles.[7]
In Israel, shawarma (Hebrew: שווארמה) is a street food and offered in meat restaurants. Introduced by Mizrachi Jews and Arab citizens of Israel, the dish has become ubiquitous.[8] It was most commonly made of lamb. In the 1990s, turkey or chicken became popular. After 2000, lamb/veal mix began to appear, though turkey shawarma remains the most common. Often the rotating skewer is placed at the front of the restaurant. Shawarma is served in a pita or a lafa and is usually eaten with Israeli salad, made from finely diced tomato and cucumber, hummus and french fries. Popular toppings are amba and techina.
In Mexico, shawarma was introduced by Middle-Eastern immigrants from Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Iraq, in the early 1920s.[9]It is known as taco árabe, "Arabian taco" and sold at taquerías orientales, "[Middle-]Eastern taco stands".[10] It is now served in pan árabe, "Arabian bread"–, leavened bread –locally called torta árabe, "Arabian baguette", also called cemita–, or in flour tortillas. It is usually accompanied by tahini and labneh –locally called jocoque–[11] even though the skhug (or kharif) has been replaced with a thick chipotle-garlic sauce.[12] In Mexico City, the pita has been replaced with corn tortillas, in what is now called a taco al pastor 'shepherds' taco'.[12] Unlike a taco árabe, the taco al pastor is served with pineapple, cilantro, chopped onions and green or red salsa, and marinated with annatto sauce. Middle Eastern shawarma is available in the many Middle Eastern restaurants and kosher taquerias that cater to the large Mexican Lebanese and Sephardic communities.
In Pakistan, shawarma is available at road-side stands; it was introduced by Pakistanis who worked in the Persian Gulf states. In Palestine, shawarma is part of the indigenous street fast-food culture, like other Levantine countries, it's usually served in either pita or Sajj bread and often toasted.[13] An inexpensive meal, it is served in khubz (bread), with toppings that include pickled turnip, cucumber, onion tomato, and tahina.[13] The meat is lamb, grilled on a vertical spit and shaved before serving.[13]
Shawurger is the name of a shawarma burger that is very popular in Bangalore, introduced by an international shawarma franchise food chain named Wrapz Shawarma Station.
In South Africa, Anat[14] and Mivami[15] chains of shawarma restaurants are common. There shawarma is usually made with combination of beef, chicken or turkey in a soft pita. Most shawarmas come with hummus, tahina sauce, tzatziki (cucumber sauce), chili flavoring, vegetables or barbecue. In the United Kingdom, shawarma is made with slices of skewered meat served in a pita with salad or pickles[16] and tahini. The original shawarma take-aways first appeared in Piccadilly Circus in the early 1970s, catering mainly to tourists and Arab expatriates, but quickly spread. However, the doner kebab is more widespread in the UK.
Health concerns
Shawarma is popular in many countries in the form of street food, often leading to hygiene related health issues. In India, 21-year-old hotel management graduate, Sachin Mathew, died of food poisoning on July 14th 2012.[17]As a result Hotel and Restaurants Association in Kerala has decided to stop selling shawarma in the state(which later lifted). The decision was taken due to the risk of old meat being used to make the dish.[18]
See also
References
- ^ Philip Mattar (2004). Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East & North Africa (Hardcover ed.). Macmillan Library Reference. p. 840. ISBN 0028657713.
- ^ John A La Boone III (2006). Around the World of Food: Adventures in Culinary History (Paperback ed.). iUniverse, Inc. p. 115. ISBN 0595389686.
- ^ Terrorism, the Origin and the Sources: An Anthology of Poetry Ambigrams and Political Oratories, p. 307.
- ^ Aglaia Kremezi and Anissa Helou, "What's in a Dish's Name", "Food and Language", Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, 2009, ISBN 190301879X
- ^ yalla-yalla.co.uk, Beirut street food in London
- ^ mrfalafel.net, item descriptions
- ^ [1].
- ^ Dr Shakshuka, famous for his eponymous dish, has turned his talents to a staple Israeli takeaway, retrieved March 23, 2010.
- ^ Tacos!, Kitaddoda.com. Retrieved January 26, 2007.
- ^ Antigua Taquería la Oriental Retrieved July 12, 2007
- ^ El Jocoque: Un lácteo fermentado Revalorizable. Retrieved July 12, 2007
- ^ a b Wrap it Up: A Guide to Mexican Cuisine
- ^ a b c Ken Albala (2011). Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia (Illustrated ed.). ABC-CLIO. p. 292. ISBN 0313376263, 9780313376269.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: invalid character (help) - ^ anat.co.za
- ^ mivami.co.za
- ^ Ranoush, The Hot Spot Online. Retrieved January 16, 2007
- ^ "Food poisoning death puts Kerala eateries on the mat". NDTV. 21 July 2012.
- ^ "Hoteliers ban shawarma across Kerala". The Asian Age. 20 July 2012.
