KEBAB

Kebab or kebap is a corruption of the word kebaba - and literally means 'fried meat'. It is a common name for various meat dishes on a skewer. 

Small pieces of tender boneless meat are threaded over a skewer and then grilled or broiled over a fire. There are many different types of kebabs to suit a particular recipe, but in general, kebabs are made with soft cuts of meat, mashed meat, and sometimes it is compressed minced meat that is fried in a large pan.

SOUVLAKI

Souvlaki was made famous by the Greeks, but Cyprus has its own version, probably the most popular 'fast food' on the island. And when we say fast food, don't think unhealthy. Cypriot souvlaki is actually one of the lowest fat foods you can have!

Cypriot souvlaki is a very simple meal and consists of 2-3 skewers of grilled pieces of pork or chicken in Cypriot pita bread and usually also contains tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and sometimes onion and cabbage. Cypriots usually squeeze lemon over the souvlaki to add sourness and more flavour.

SOUVLA

Souvla is a popular dish from Cyprus. It consists of large pieces of meat, often with bone, cooked on a long skewer over a charcoal barbecue. It differs from the popular dish souvlaki in that the pieces of meat are much larger, but usually contain a bone, and are slow-cooked for much longer at a greater distance from the hot charcoal.

GYROS

After the souvlaki, gyros is probably the most popular Greek dish abroad and it is very easy to recognize in Greece: it is that delicious grilled meat that you see slowly turning and frying through the restaurant windows... accompanied by a divine smell ! Like souvlaki, gyros are usually made with pork or chicken, and sometimes lamb.

SHAWARMA/SHOARMA 

refers to a dish consisting of thinly sliced ​​meat in a cone shape. It is then roasted on a slowly rotating rotisserie, a cooking device with a rotating spit. The rotating spit is a pointed rod on which meat is skewered and roasted over an open fire. While originally made with lamb, mutton, and chicken, today shawarma can be made from turkey, beef, or veal. As the meat rotates, thin slices are shaved off the cooking surface. It is one of the world's most popular street foods in Egypt, Turkey, the Levant and the rest of the Middle East.

DÖNER / DONNER

The world famous Turkish kebab means 'rotating' kebab in Turkish. It is made from lamb, chicken or beef, slowly roasted on a vertical spit and then thinly sliced. Döner is served on a plate with salad and rice or potatoes; in bread as a bun; or in an envelope known as dürüm.

SHISH KEBAB 

Shish Kebab is a popular meal of skewers and grilled cubes of meat. It can be found in Mediterranean cuisine and is similar or synonymous with a dish called shashlik, which is found in the Caucasus region.

It is one of many types of kebab, an array of meat dishes native to the Middle East.

KUSHBASHI

The Turkish equivalent of souvlaki is called kushbashi and is made from cow meat. The packaged kushbashi contains various ingredients from Turkey. The wrap bread is also different: the Turkish version has a thin wrap, while the Greek one comes in a pita, which is similar in consistency to pizza bread. The pita is actually lightly grilled on one side as well, to be crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

Toppings and garnishes

The main toppings of the kebab are tomato, onion, cucumber, tzatziki sauce and yogurt with spices, while for shawarma pickled vegetables, tahini and hummus are important spices.

 

What is the difference between Kebab and Souvlaki?

• Both kebab and souvlaki are dishes made from meat grilled on skewers, but while kebab originated in the Near East, Souvlaki is considered to be of Greek origin. 

• Souvlaki is marinated differently than kebab.

• Souvlaki was traditionally made from pork in Greece, while lamb used to be used to prepare kebabs.

• Souvlaki is also served as pita bread, while kebabs are served on plates.

• Seasoning used for Souvlaki is different and garlic is an integral part of Souvlaki.

 

Difference Between Shawarma and Kebab

• Shawarma refers to a dish consisting of meat that has been thinly sliced ​​and stacked in a cone-like shape.

• While kebab refers to a cooked meat dish consisting of sliced ​​or ground meat.

 

Names

Shawarma takes its name from an Arabic rendering of the Turkish word meaning to turn, while the word kebab takes its name from an Aramaic word 'kababa' meaning to char or burn.