German producers have sparked a dispute by filing an opposition to a Turkish application to grant the döner kebab’s special status at the EU level, initiating a six-month period to resolve disagreements.
A Turkish application to the European Commission for the döner kebab to be given similar EU recognition as the Neapolitan pizza and Spain’s jamon serrano has been opposed by Germany, sources close to the issue have told Euronews.
As reported, in April Türkiye filed an application to register the name döner in Europe so that it can be used only by those producers conforming to the registered production method and product specifications.
Döner Kebab isn’t even a Turkish specialty. In Turkey, Döner (referring to the meat that turns) is served on a plate with salad and bread. It’s not fast food like the German Döner Kebab, and it’s not meant to be taken to go.
Döner Kebab was invented in Germany by a Turkish immigrant whose traditional Döner didn’t fare well, because Germans were always in a hurry.
Or so the story goes that I heard in a documentary on German TV about 15 years ago.
Besides, the majority of döner sold in Europe is just congealed meat.
Very much not the case in Germany. I’m not sure the German requirements are even that dissimilar to what Turkey came up with… which shouldn’t be surprising, they’re practically written by Turks in the sense that “this is what this thing means” in German food law is always based on “this is what good and proper cooks preparing it agree on”, and when the guidelines were set those all happened to have been Turkish immigrants.
Not to mention that the industry association complaining are precisely those Turkish immigrants.
I’ve seen the ingredients on commercial döner meat in a German Döner shop. It’s mostly chicken skin
Edit: “meat”, and downvote all you like, it doesn’t make it untrue
Eh Australian style doner kebabs or just kebabs as we call them a fast food and not connected to Germany in any way.
I’d wager over 300 years the Turks figured out how to wrap meat in bread. We’re all just doing variations of that.
As for the word, it’s their word. They deserve the same ability to enforce a standard behind it as the EU does champagne and that shit.
Meat in bread indeed is not the German part, for a German Döner veggies and sauce aren’t optional, even when served on a plate. Default is Tsatsiki – not even Cacik, but the Greek stuff, without mint, dill, or extra water. Cucumber, tomato, onions, and some sort of cabbage as veggies, as well as the option of with Scharf, implemented via (usually pickled) Jalapenos and/or Sambal Oelek. There’s various things to the whole thing you see in neither German or Turkish cuisine, it is true fusion food, wouldn’t be possible without the different cuisines meeting.
As for the word, no, this is like the Italians trying to regulate what “Pizza” means instead of, rightly, regulating what “Pizza Neapolitana” means. If Swedes want to put pineapple in their Döner then Germans are going to join in with Turks calling it a crime against food but we’re also not going to stop them.
I’ve heard all kinds of crazy stuff from outside Germany, like using ketchup or mayonnaise, can’t even decide which is worse they’re both atrocious choices. There’s exactly one valid reason why you would use a sauce that’s not yoghurt-based, and that’s because you’re making a vegan variant – which would then imitate a yoghurt-based sauce (Vegan is not at all common but veggie options aren’t rare, usually replacing meat with falafel otherwise the same concept).
I’ve eaten a sloppy döner panini at a random train station somewhere once. They used mayonnaise to make it even more greasy. It went hard because I just came home from a ten hour shift. This experience tought me that no food is to sacred to me modified in seemingly disgusting ways. When it’s fire it’s fire.
