Shawarma Anyone?

Shawarma Anyone?, originally uploaded by !efatima.

Shawarma (also spelled shwarma, schwarma or shoarma) is a Middle Eastern dish of fine ribbons of spicy lamb meat, similar to Greek gyros, Turkish döner kebab and Mexican taco al pastor.

It is flavored with vinegar and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It is served in pita bread and covered in a sauce such as tahini (or tahina), garlic mayonnaise (commonly found in Europe), or a chili sauce. Vegetables commonly found in shwarma include onion, tomato, lettuce, pickled turnips and cabbage.

It is sometimes available made from chicken or beef instead of lamb. Turkey is also occasionally used, depending on the establishment. Some stores use hot dog buns but most have pita bread, some have both allowing a choice. It is very often served with a plate of French Fries, or sometimes the fries are put inside the pita instead.

It is common for restaurants that serve shwarma to have a slab of meat rotating on a skewer with animal fat and onion or tomato at the top for flavoring. It is then roasted from all sides (see vertical rotisserie) and cut right before serving.

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