I think one of my favorite dishes is döner. Döner is a delicious meat dish known in every country in the world. It has very different flavors in the world. Everyone knows that döner is actually a Turkish dish, but when it spread to the world thanks to Turks living in different countries, some people started to forget that döner is actually Turkish. As a döner lover, I want to compare real Turkish döner and other döners and show how döner in Turkey is. Döner needs to be done properly, from where the meat is bought to which animal’s meat is used, under what conditions this meat is processed and how it is marinated, from the cooking method to the cut and the chef.Real quality döner in Turkey is never made with minced meat. It is definitely made with a piece of meat. Döner is not just one type in Turkey. When you want döner, you are always asked how you want it.

Portion döner, that is, döner with only meat on the plate and served with bread, tomatoes on another plate. It is really delicious. You can taste the meat very well.

DÖNER ON RICE

Döner on rice also offers a different flavor. A great döner on a nice rice. Pide döner is probably one of the most preferred döners in Turkey. Döner is served in a warm pita bread and served with tomatoes, peppers and pickles if desired. Wrap döner is very popular in Turkey. Doner, tomato, pepper, pickle inside thin lavash. Isn’t it a mouth-watering flavor?

İSKENDER

But there is a type of doner that is really delicious. I am talking about İskender, a flavor specific to Bursa, where döner was first found in the world. Mehmet Efendi Restaurant was opened in Bursa in the 1850s. Mehmet Efendi’s son who worked at the restaurant was named İskender and this kebab was named İskender. How is İskender prepared? There are indispensable ingredients. Tomato sauce, butter, crispy pita pieces, fresh yogurt and hot butter are indispensable for this dish. Also, İskender is a dish that should be served while it is hot. First, the pita is heated well, then the plates on which the pita will be placed are heated well. The pita is chopped and then placed in a pre-heated plate. İskender’s tomato sauce is poured over it. Then, döner is added very quickly on top of the pita. While the preparations are being made up to this point, the butter is also heated. This way, when İskender is ready, butter is ready and can be served immediately.

Dürüm Döner

Döner in Germany

Let’s come to how döner is made and eaten in European countries such as Germany, France and Greece. I love döner in Europe, but it should not be called döner. It definitely needs to find another name. It does not taste as delicious as meat, especially since it is made from minced meat. In addition, cacık ( greek people call caciki) , potatoes, onions, lettuce, ketchup, mayonnaise, and various sauces are added to it and you cannot taste the meat. Döner is cheap and fast in Europe but in Turkey it can be expensive.  Sometimes they wrap döner in lahmacun. Turks never eat real döner like this.

Döner in Germany

Döner is a Turkish dish and Europeans should definitely eat real döner in a good döner restaurant in Turkey. We are inviting you for eating döner 🙂