FAO Americans

ThomasTheTankEngine · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:00

Gyros is the Greek name.
Doner is the Turkish name.
Shawarma is the Arabic name.

They're all the same thing, but go under different names depending where your local immigrant population originates from.

The Greeks are the best kebab makers though, because they're the only ones that make pork kebabs.

Castiel · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:01

SideWinder said:
But kebabs not as popular?

not really. Depends where you live, but Greek Food is mainly restaurants rather than takeaway.

Curio · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:01

Come to think of it, never seen kebabs over here.......although I'm not a huge fan anyway so probably never really looked out for them. Maybe they're popular in other parts of the US - it's a pretty big place

Lots of Gyro places, but I don't think they're quite the same.

Indian food is starting to take off over here now though - couple of really good restaurants we go to often. And that's high praise from somebody who grew up close to the "Balti Belt"

No pork pies though......I really miss the jelly stuff that surrounds the meat....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Wicksta · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:03

jimbob27 said:
Gyros is the Greek name.
Doner is the Turkish name.
Shawarma is the Arabic name.

They're all the same thing, but go under different names depending where your local immigrant population originates from.

The Greeks are the best kebab makers though, because they're the only ones that make pork kebabs.

They aren't really the same though, I'd compare them to chips and french fries, similar but different.

Rotty · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:08

seen loads in the US , the shops are usually called Kabob shops and the Doners referred to as Gyros

Wicksta · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:12

This is what a gyros spit looks like:

Note the real looking pieces of meat? Nothing like the doners we get in the UK.

ThomasTheTankEngine · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:12

Wicksta said:
They aren't really the same though, I'd compare them to chips and french fries, similar but different.

My mum's spag bol probably doesn't taste like your mum's spag bol, but they're still both spag bol.

Schawarma, doner, or gyros. It doesn't matter what you call them, they're all just meat-byproduct compressed into a giant block, served in unleavened bread with salad and chilli sauce.

ThomasTheTankEngine · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:13

Wicksta said:
This is what a gyros spit looks like:

Note the real looking pieces of meat? Nothing like the doners we get in the UK.

That's chicken. All chicken doners look like that. Google images my friend.

Wicksta · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:14

jimbob27 said:
My mum's spag bol probably doesn't taste like your mum's spag bol, but they're still both spag bol.

Schawarma, doner, or gyros. It doesn't matter what you call them, they're all just meat-byproduct compressed into a giant block, served in unleavened bread with salad and chilli sauce.

Yes but gyros seem to be actual pieces of meat, note my pic above. Doners seem to be reconstituted meat. They sell both in Germany, I guess due to the large Greek and Turkish population, but they are quite different - it would be like your mum cooking a spag bol with stewing steak.

Wicksta · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:14

jimbob27 said:
That's chicken. All chicken doners look like that. Google images my friend.

Look, I lived for Germany for 5 years, that's what a gyros spit looks like there. I had plenty, and plenty of Doner.

If that's chicken it's very pink don't you think?

Do a google search for gyros.

Castiel · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:16

Wicksta said:
This is what a gyros spit looks like:

Note the real looking pieces of meat? Nothing like the doners we get in the UK.

In the States you can find the sliced meat one like the pic or the compressed meat ones like here, both are called Gyros and in some places they are both called Doners it just depends on the store.

They are the same thing basically. In greece it is the same, depends on the restaurant and the ethnicity of the owners as to what one you get.

Wicksta · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:18

Castiel said:
In the States you can find the sliced meat one like the pic or the compressed meat ones like here, both are called Gyros and in some places they are both called Doners it just depends on the store.

They are the same thing basically.

I guess it must be different depending on location/who is making it then.

Anyway, the point is those kind of 'gyros' are quite different in taste and texture to a doner we get in the UK.

Glaucus · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:19

Wicksta said:
I guess it must be different depending on location/who is making it then.
.

commercial vs more authentic. Although both can be great and utterly disgusting.

Castiel · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:19

Wicksta said:
I guess it must be different depending on location/who is making it then.

Anyway, the point is those kind of 'gyros' are quite different in taste and texture to a doner we get in the UK.

Yeah, one is just a derivative of the other, a bit like Mcdonalds and Burgerking hamburgers. Same but different.

Anewbe4u · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:20

Wicksta said:
Look, I lived for Germany for 5 years, that's what a gyros spit looks like there. I had plenty, and plenty of Doner.

If that's chicken it's very pink don't you think?

Do a google search for gyros.

To be fair, that's what the chicken looks like in my local kebaby although I don't doubt you know what you're talking about.

Kutter · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:20

I'll take a Philly steak and cheese sub, over a Kebab any day.

Glaucus · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:20

Wicksta said:
If that's chicken it's very pink don't you think?
.

Nope it is thigh meat which is that colour and also marinaded.

I would love to find a cheap kebbab machine, as I would love to try hairy bikers donner kebab, which is layered lamb meat, rather than processed.

Wicksta · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:23

AcidHell2 said:
Nope it is thigh meat which is that colour and also marinaded.

The picture was taken from a Hungarian gyros shop site.

http://GYROSHUS.HU

It's exactly the same colour as the gyros I've eaten before.

ThomasTheTankEngine · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:34

Wicksta said:
I guess it must be different depending on location/who is making it then.

Anyway, the point is those kind of 'gyros' are quite different in taste and texture to a doner we get in the UK.

I'm not arguing man, I know I'm right.

The area they're from is like a 1000 miles wide, so not everyone is going to use exactly the same techniques and recipes. A burger from Gordon Ramsey's resturant isn't going to be anything like a burger from Mcdonalds, but they're still both burgers.

The thing that defines all of them as being what they are is the cooking method. It's big lump of meat all squashed together on a spit, and when somebody wants some you just cook a bit on the outside, and then keep the rest. It originated in Arabia as an efficient way of cooking meat in the desert when you don't have much firewood available.

cm1179 · 1 Jan 2011 at 18:34

great food imo smother it in chilli, mayo and a bit of lemon and mint and it's a meal of champions! but i just couldn't imagine an american spilling one down himself on the sidewalk after one too many buds