Shawarma is a dish very popular in countries of the eastern part of the Mediterranean, such as Syria, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, etc. It is based on pita or pita bread stuffed with meat, grilled and then chopped, mixed with pieces of vegetables. Traditionally added spices and a variety of sauces. Shawarma is eaten without cutlery.
In the article we will tell about the history of the origin of the shawarma dish, about various names, about the rules for the layout of ingredients, adopted in different places.
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Very similar dishes, but called with different words, came to us from past centuries and from different countries: shawarma - from the countries of the Arab world, dener kebab - from Turkey, gyros - from Greece.
Moscow residents say "shawarma", St. Petersburg - "shawarma", in the city of Tver they will offer you "shawarma". In the Urals, for example, in the Perm Territory, there are both the most traditional names for Russian-speaking citizens. And in Azerbaijan, the meat and vegetables mixture is served wrapped in pita bread with white sweet and sour sauce. Locals call this dish shawarma, and for the traditional version of such a snack use the name "dener-kebab". The Armenians have a different name - they say "karsi-khorovats" or "shavurma". Another option (mainly for visitors) is "Kars kebab."
In Israel, they prepare “shavarma” (with emphasis on the second syllable) or “shvarma”. Modern Arabs call this dish “shuarma” without emphasizing the stressed vowel. Belgians call shawarma "pita-dyurum" or "dyurum" with an emphasis on the first syllable. The word in Turkish means "wrapped". However, the same Belgians can call the dish and “pita” if this cake is used instead of pita bread. The English say "kebab," the Germans say "dener-kebab," and the Bulgarians say "duner." In Romania, the name "shaorma" or "shoorma" is adopted, and in Paris - the "Greek sandwich". In the Czech Republic, the Greek word "gyros" is actively used to refer to shawarma.
Linguists testify that such a rich synonymic series can speak of a rich history of the creation of shawarma: the word itself obviously has Semitic roots, “kebab” - Turkish, but “gyros” - Greek in origin.
Incidentally, the majority of modern Russian language dictionaries (except for the Explanatory Dictionary by T. F. Efremova) do not contain the word "shaverma", although it is quite actively used in Russia along with the word "shawarma". According to the conclusions of linguists, this word has taken root, because it does not contradict the norms of the Russian language, moreover, it is more convenient to pronounce - that is, it falls better on the language. It is very possible that it, as is often the case with dialectisms, will eventually take its place in the dictionaries.
Dish history
Shawarma appeared in Damascus from a dozen centuries ago, at least, it is believed. Initially, it consisted only of meat, which was wrapped in a tortilla. Later they guessed to pickle meat slices, then fry them, mixing with salad and seasoning with sauce.
In Europe, the history of the appearance of shawarma is associated with migrants from Turkey. Kadyr Nurman was the first to make shawarma. It was a German cook of Turkish origin. He opened in 1972 in Berlin near the Zoological Garden railway station a kiosk for making this dish, which was specially designed for people who want to have a quick bite to eat. Such have always been in large cities. First of all, of course, these were labor migrants. Kadyr Nurman’s “invention” was like a Turkish dener kebab made from puff meat roasted on a vertical skewer and served as a sandwich. In addition to meat, this shawarma also included traditional salad ingredients. Soon, the dish became extremely popular, and the kebab cafe, as they were originally called, spread throughout Germany, and then throughout Europe. Today, German-made shawarma is served in Berlin in small cafes and in chic restaurants - it is so popular.
The history of shawarma in Russia
It first appeared, of course, in the southern regions of our country. And it is still believed that this dish in the Caucasus is the most delicious.
Recipes of Moscow shawarma and St. Petersburg shawarma, as well as, by the way, many others around the world, can be considered variations on the theme "delicious Arabic dish." Over the past centuries it is already difficult to tell with high reliability about the history of shawarma and about the rules for laying out the ingredients. However, different versions do exist.
There is even a legend according to which the history of the appearance of shawarma in Russia is associated with the city on the Neva. After all, the very first shawarma, speaking in St. Petersburg, was prepared here in 1990. They argue about a specific place: according to one version, this is the Square of courage, and according to another - Uprising. The gastronomic novelty was designated as shawarma, which the Petersburgers read and voiced as “shawarma,” and Muscovites took this word by ear as “shawarma,” which caused a lexical disagreement.
However, there was another version regarding the appearance of the “Arab guest” - supposedly shawarma was listed in the menu of the Lebanese cuisine restaurant “Bako-Lebanon” back in 1989.
Composition of Oriental Shawarma
In Israel and Palestine, Shvarma is a popular fast food. It is prepared from turkey meat or young lamb with mandatory soaking with a mixture of Arab spices. Usually the cooking process is as follows: the meat is cut into small thin slices according to the type of plates, then they are pressed together and fried on a skewer. During cooking, the meat is cut off from the edges and wrapped in pita along with the rest of the ingredients. Sometimes only meat is used as a filling, and vegetables are served as a salad, separately.
The most popular sauce in the Middle East is tahini, and the most popular salad is taboule.
Oriental traditions have been preserved in restaurants open in many cities, including Russian ones. It uses only meat that has been soaked in the marinade for at least a day. Marinade filling usually consisted (and consists) of vinegar, kefir, lemon juice and a set of spices. It is restaurant shawarma that is most often flavored with garlic sauce instead of ketchup or whipped mayonnaise, as is often done in street stalls.
In Russia
According to the domestic history of shawarma, Moscow shawarma differs from St. Petersburg not only in size, but also in the composition of the ingredients. The meat is pre-fried on a spit, then it is crushed and simmered on a baking sheet. Slices of fried chicken (pork) are mixed with slices of fresh cucumbers, tomatoes or, depending on the season, chopped cabbage. The latter can occasionally be mixed with Korean carrots (Moscow version). In the summer, cabbage is replaced by lettuce, and in winter slices of fresh cucumbers are sometimes mixed with pickled ones. Then add a small amount of sauce - mayonnaise or ketchup. This mixture is wrapped in pita bread.
The St. Petersburg version contains chicken, you will not find pork in it. Moreover, the meat, diced, is fried on a horizontal grill. Other ingredients are repeated - cucumbers, tomatoes, finely chopped cabbage. In this city, the sauce is often made from sour cream mixed with garlic and spices (but other options are possible). The prepared mixture is not wrapped in pita, but in pita. Before serving, the tortilla with the filling is heated on a special contact grill. But not always.
Generally speaking, it is customary to eat shawarma with hands, but this is inconvenient. Therefore, today sometimes a mixture of chicken and vegetables in sauce is served to the client on a plate (the ingredients can be laid out separately), and the cake is offered as a supplement. Sometimes manufacturers of this fast food come to the end in the form of a slice of lemon on a plate with a ready-made dish. Chips of fried potatoes can also be added to the canonical set, which, of course, will affect satiety and volume, but it is unlikely that this dish can already be called a traditional shawarma.
Sauce
The usual sauces that were used to prepare this dish are kefir, white garlic, and red tomato.
This is a separate topic, quite important, at least for such a dish. For example, the recipes of white sauce used at public catering enterprises in St. Petersburg are almost their own for every cook.
Here is one of the recipes: 4 tablespoons of kefir and sour cream are mixed with 4 tablespoons of grated garlic, then spices and herbs (black and red ground pepper, coriander, dried parsley and dill) should be added. The sauce is mixed with the filling and infused for an hour. It is worth noting that a distinctive feature of St. Petersburg sauce is the lack of mayonnaise.
Meat
Today, shawarma meat is prepared as follows: pieces or pressed meat plates are mounted on a large rotating vertical skewer along which heating elements are located. As frying, the outer edges are cut with a long knife into a pallet, on which they are further crushed.
The type of meat used in the preparation of shawarma can be different - chicken, turkey, beef, lamb and even camel. Occasionally, fish is also prepared for the filling. Pork is also used, but it is clear that in non-Muslim countries.
True, for the very first shawarma only mutton and veal were taken, chicken began to be used relatively recently, almost at the end of the 20th century. Most likely, this happened with the filing of the Turks practicing the production of shawarma in European cities - because poultry meat was cheaper.
By the way, the pursuit of the most economically accessible meat served this dish poorly - today shawarma, like other fast food, is considered by experts to be the most harmful food for the human body. And all because for the street shawarma, the so-called Bush legs were most often purchased. These chicken parts were not only the cheapest, but also the fattest.
Meanwhile, shawarma, prepared in accordance with all the rules of cookery art and from quality products, does not harm the body.
Shawarma vegetables
The most common vegetables for this dish are tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage. But in each region, since the spread and popularity of shawarma, its own innovations have appeared. Not only slices of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, but also chopped lettuce, pickled vegetables, mushrooms, and Korean carrots can be wrapped in lavash along with meat.
Cake
For wrapping meat and vegetables for shawarma traditionally used pita bread or pita. However, in the southern countries of Europe, focaccia (or focaccia) also successfully copes with this function. This is a thin yeastless cake used by Italians to make pizza. By the way, it is baked with yeast - then it turns out to be magnificent - but such a focaccia is no longer for shawarma.
Did you know...
In Lebanon and other countries of the Middle East, it is not customary to cook shawarma in street tents. A person, of course, can buy it, take it with him and eat while sitting in the car, but the preparation of the dish itself requires compliance with sanitary rules, which are impossible in street stalls. Moreover, such fast food points are usually set in crowded places - at train stations, markets or near stadiums and parks.
The preparation of the largest shawarma in the world (1198 kg) took the meat of seven cows. It was prepared in Ankara and subsequently entered into the Guinness Book of Records.
In 2015, photos of girls eating shawarma gained immense popularity on social networks. They laid out in groups under the general name "Beautiful Girls and Shawarma." It should not, of course, be surprising that groups later appeared called "Handsome Guys and Shawarma".
Aphorisms about shawarma
As usual, the most popular always generates among the people jokes and well-aimed statements. Stories about shawarma began to appear when tents were set up in Russia for the production and sale of this dish in Russia. Shawarma whipped up in places where unsanitary conditions reigned, aroused legitimate suspicions about the quality of the product offered to the people. There were even rumors that shawarma was made from the meat of stray dogs and cats. From time to time, they arise now. And here are some of the popular aphorisms:
If you peer at the shawarma for a long time, the shawarma begins to peer at you.
Shawarma in the guise of food penetrates the victim ...
Shawarma is not something that allows you not to die of hunger, but something that allows you not to die hungry.
We talked about the history of the creation and occurrence of shawarma, we hope the information is useful to you.