Snack Spotlight: Shawarma, Middle East
Shawarma’s name comes from the Arabic word for “turning” — a reference to how this favorite Middle Eastern sandwich’s meaty filling cooks on a vertical spit. In adaptations that spread to the Mediterranean and Europe, shawarma has been reinterpreted as gyro in Greece or doner kebab in Germany, via Turkey.
While there are many variations of this popular street food, its base is grilled spiced meat (usually chicken, lamb or beef) shaved from the rotisserie and tucked into a light sleeve of pita bread, topped with things such as tomatoes, onions and parsley and perhaps tahini sauce and hot sauce, too.
