Learn about doner kebabs in Germany
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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture File: Germany series at GermanPod101.com. In this series we’re exploring essential information about Germany, German culture and German people. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 9 - Doner Kebab. |
| Now we’re going to talk about a well-loved food in Germany. This food isn’t originally German, but has nearly become a national dish through its popularity with German people, particularly in Berlin. This is the Doner Kebab, or Döner Kebab. It’s called Döner for short. |
| The doner is a well-known dish from Turkey that has become wildly popular in Germany. A doner is a good dish for times when you need something quick. You can quickly receive and scarf down a doner in a fast-food shop or a Döner-Stand, which means "doner booth." Fast-food shops are called Imbiss in German. A doner is also good when you're out late looking for a bite to eat. Plus it's cheap, so it doesn't put too much of a strain on your wallet. |
| Inside a doner, slices of meat are stacked on a vertical skewer and then grilled. The meat is then cut off in small pieces. In Germany, it’s served in a pita with red cabbage, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and sauce. In Turkey, on the other hand, doner meat mostly serves as the main course, with rice and salad on the side. In fact, the herb sauce and garlic, or Knoblauch sauce, well-loved by the Germans, isn’t actually used in Turkey. Besides the "normal" doner there are also several variants. For example, in a doner called Dürüm Döner, the ingredients are rolled up in a flatbread, or Fladenbrot. |
| And now you're certainly wondering how the doner found its way to Germany, and why, next to the Currywurst, it is one of the most popular dishes in Berlin. Well, there are so many Turks living in Berlin now that the city is sometimes jokingly called "Little Ankara," or in German Klein Ankara. And when they immigrated to Germany, the Turks naturally brought with them their delicious food culture. The doner is proof that there are other possibilities for a fast snack besides American-style fast food! |
| So listeners, how did you like this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| Do you think you’ll like Doner Kebab as much as German people do? |
| Leave a comment telling us at GermanPod101.com, And we’ll see you in the next lesson! |
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