Heroes Eat Shawarma

There are many shawarma stands near our place but I take a long walk to get one from a cafeteria about three blocks away from our area, for some reasons. In addition to good staff services, the shawarma there is yummier than the rest I have tasted so far.

The wrapper is somewhat crispy and grilled. The juicy meat and vegetables inside are all fresh. At AED5.50 per order, it is a cheap dinner so no wonder there are lots of customers falling in line to grab their pieces, with matching chai (hot tea with milk and ginger, AED1 small cup and AED2 bigger cup). I usually ask for garlic sauce in addition to tomato sauce that they serve. It has a spicy kick that I love.

I recall when a friend sent me an invitation to his birthday get-together. He called it a 'shawarma party' held in the same place, then after that, there was a fun run. I was not able to join them but for sure they all enjoyed it.

Shawarma,(alternative names: chawarma, shaurma or showarma) is a popular street food in Arabian Peninsula. It is a marinated meat thinly sliced, arranged like a big cone in a vertical rotisserie (skewer is about 20-inch high), and grilled in slow heat on rotating mode. The cook cuts the meat with a long and sharp knife when there is an order. Then he mixes the shavings with the vegetables and wraps them or prepares as a sandwich or a platter.

There are choices as to meat -- normally beef, chicken or turkey. The waiter usually serves with extra pickled carrots, jalapeno, and cucumber. In OttomanTurkey where it originated, lamb and mutton are commonly the main meat. It was known as 'doner kebap'.

In Dubai, the government authority is very strict when it comes to foods. The shawarma vendors are required to protect their shawarmas from anything that will harm the health of the consuming public. They 'prohibit the practice of roasting and selling outside the limits of the shop, in order to protect the food from external pollutants and sources of dust and pollution'.

I want to passionately make shawarma from home. Heroes eat shawarma!

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Photo credits: Pixabay

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