In almost every corner of the world, a man is standing in front of a cone-like shaped skewer with his long flat knife slicing the roasting chicken or beef meat off, stuffing it inside a Saj bread; a traditional Arabic-style flatbread, accompanied with pickles, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, a river of garlic sauce and a pinch of history. Hungry? Hang tight because the story of Shawarma has just begun!
History in a wrap:
The story of Shawarma dates back to the Ottoman Empire around the 18th and 19th centuries. It was common at the time to cook meat by threading the meat onto a spike and leaving it to roast over the fire by rotating it from time to time to ensure that it is well cooked on every side. Anissa Helou, a chef and food writer, says the word “Shawarma” is derived from the Turkish word “çevirme” which means “rotating”. People use different words to refer to Shawarma as it is called “gyro” in Greece, “döner kebab” in Turkey, and “Shawarma” in the Middle East and worldwide.
The vertical cone-like shape Shawarma skewer is believed to be used for the first time in 1830 in Bursa, Turkey, by Iskender Efendi who changed the traditional way of stacking the Shawarma skewer horizontally. Helou says the vertical shape of the shawarma skewer makes it easier for the Shawarma vendor to slice the meat off. “The disk on the bottom of the vertical skewer that is holding the Shawarma is smallish and when it is rotating against the heat and the Shawarma vendor is slicing it off for each sandwich or serving or whatever and the slicing action goes at an angle,” she says.
Shawarma in the make:
The secret of the delicious flavor of Shawarma lies in the spices and the preparation method, says Noura Al-Khwailed, a chef assistant at the University of Waterloo and food blogger. The magic starts when the Shawarma chicken or beef meat is marinated for at least a day in a unique Middle Eastern combination of spices that includes cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, dried bay leaves, ginger, turmeric, olive oil, black pepper, ground coriander, lemon and orange juice, plain yogurt and minced garlic. Al-Khwailed says “the long marination time is very important to magnify the flavor and allow the spices to permeate deeper into the meat along with making the meat softer and juicer.”
It’s time to serve it up:
After a long day resting in the seasoning, the Shawarma tower is now ready to face the heat. As the skewer rotates slowly against the vertical rotisserie until the outside layer is roasted from both sides, the Shawarma vendor starts slicing the meat off with his long flat knife and stuffing it inside a Saj bread accompanied with pickles, vegetables and garlic sauce. Al-Khwailed says “Shawarma should be served in the traditional Arabic flatbread as it helps preserve the authentic taste of Shawarma.”
The popular Arab version of “hamburger”:
It is no secret that the popularity of Shawarma has spread throughout the world. Helou says Shawarma is “the Arab equivalent of hamburger”. She says one of the main reasons that made Shawarma popular is that it is “a typical street food” as it is easy to make, and it is rich in nutrients that include meat, vegetables, and bread. “It has meat it has vegetables; it has sauce, it has bread. I mean it’s like a full meal and a very easy sandwich to eat while you’re walking around,” she says. Al-Khwailed says the combination between the unique taste of the well-spiced meat, the garlic sauce, and the Arabic flatbread has also played a role in making Shawarma more appealing to people globally. “Shawarma has a unique combination of tastes and flavors. It is an inexpensive meal for people who are willing to eat while walking around,” she says.
It is worth mentioning that the National Day Calendar refers to October 15 as the National Day of Shawarma in Canada. It was first celebrated by Osmow, a popular Mediterranean restaurant chain, on October 15, 2020.