Two nations are at war over the origin, preparation and authenticity of one of the world’s most popular affordable meals: The döner kebab.
Both sides agree that it starts with thinly-sliced meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, but the agreement doesn’t go much further, with arguments over what meat is permissible, what spices, and whether it’s served as a plate or a sandwich.
The differences have flared into the news because of a request by the International Doner Federation, based in Turkey, for the European Commission to grant the food Traditional Specialty Guaranteed status, similar to Italy’s bufala mozzarella or Spain’s Serrano ham. If granted, only very specific meals could use the döner name.
The Federation claims the döner as an Ottoman invention, citing a recipe from 1546. It arrived in Germany in the 1960s and 70s along with Turkish ‘guest workers’ who have become a significant permanent population in Germany, Berlin even claims that the döner in its present form was invented in the city in 1972.
Germany’s government has filed an official objection, saying it was ‘astonished’ by the ‘imprecise’ and ‘contradictory’ application and said “the economic consequences for the German gastronomic sector would be enormous.”
Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, whose parents were immigrants from Turkey, asserted that “The döner belongs to Germany. Everyone should be allowed to decide for themselves how it is prepared and eaten here. There is no need for any guidelines from Ankara.”
The döner view with sausages for top spot in Germany’s snack market, racking up €2.4 billion in sales, according to the Association of Döner Manufacturers in Europe. Germany’s consumption is 2/3 of Europe’s total, and German companies dominate the market for döner-making equipment.
