Cyprus-Forum.com

[villawagen]

as i consider myself to be an expert on the great donner, particularly after large consumption of beer, i have been wondering for quite a while about the origins of this wonderful feast.
i have purchased donner kebabs from greeks and turks in many different places in the uk and during more recent times from Asian Pakistanis and Indian takeaway owners!! although they are now hybriding the kebabs by placing the donner meat into nan bread instead of pitta !!!! this is also very nice, particualy accompanied with hot chilli sauce or the yougherty minty shit, you can get .

so the question is then !!!! who invented the donner kebab

the greeks or the turks or was it invented in cyprus itself

[Sotos]

I believe the word kebab is Turkish/Arabic. The Greek is called souvlaki. Pita bread is also Greek.

Although the origins of the gyros are lost in the mists of time, there is no doubt about the souvlaki. The souvlaki first appeared in ancient Greece, as proved by a recipe from that time. The dish was called “kandaulos” and combined grilled meat, pita, cheese and dill (Athenaeus, The Deipnosophists, 12, 516d).
Many centuries later we find references to street vendors selling souvlakia with pita in Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium.

[rawk]

Pita or Peter bread is the original unleavened bread mentioned in the Holy Bible.

Over the millennea it has been used as the "envelope" for a variety of stuffings, meat , salad, fruit, sweet and savoury fillings.

Interestingly, the Cornish and Devonish people of Britain did the same thing with their pasties. This was a pastry envelope with a variety of fillings, finished off with a distinctive pastry frill along the top of the package.

Today a Cornish Pastie is mostly filled with minced lamb and vegetables in a stiff gravy sauce.

Kebab? Check out the link below

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebabs

Rawk

[miltiades]

If only you knew !!! You would not eat another Doner or Curry to save your life !! UK , of course.

[karma]

hi, the word doner means turning, turkish origin (donmek=to turn or whirl) so it may be turkish..but does it matter? just eat and enjoy it as long as earth keeps turning

[orokliniservices]

Back in Canada we have something similar called a "Donair" pernounced "DOH-NAIR" it's very similar to a doner kebab but is spiced mince lamb. Very spicy, tons of peppers in it. It is served wrapped up in a pita with chopped onions and tomatoes then topped off with a very sweet garlic sauce.. they're to DIE FOR!! My partner is a huge fan of Doner Kebabs back in england and here in Cyprus but says they have nothing on the Donair's back home. I come from Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada, we have a large Lebanese population and they're who came up with our version of the Doner Kebab.
I can't wait till the next time i'm home.. it's the first thing i'll get when i'm off the plane!!

[G.Man]

http://www.thechillisource.org/html/mainmenu.php

Gives more info on the german/anglo doner kebab, ie the rotating mince lamb "elephants foot"

[Baggieboy]

There are some fascinating comments about Cypriot food in my favourite book on Cyprus - Echoes From the Dead Zone by Yiannis Papadakis - which show how many similarities there are between TC and GC cuisine, and I believe the glorious Doner Kebab is just one of them.

I think its just another meal that sort of evolved in the Greek/Turkish area, but if I had to put money on it I'd go for Turkish - mainly as they seem to favour the hotter chilli. But I've also had some fantastic kebabs from Greek Cypriots.

But hey - they taste fantastic and that's good enough for me!

Richie

[G.Man]

the greek/turkish gyros arent half as nice as the elephants foot tho

well a decently prepared elephants foot anyway, not the mass produced fatty rubbish most places sell nowadays..

[andri_cy]

Elephant's foot? I had no idea people eat elephant. So it is good? I guess you can only get it in places in Africa? Do share(I know it is not the matter of the subject but I am intrigued).