Lamb Gyros?

[KellyM]

Thanks for bringing this up, Yakuta. I just found out (discovered) from my husband that Shwarma means "to turn" in Arabic. He says it comes from the turkish "cevirmek". They are all related to this turning on the spit of the meat. Gyros... Döner... Swarma... all about the act of turning the meat. Interesting.

Yes! Gyro refers to a spit that turns vertically with the heat sources off to the sides.

Oh, I wanted to say something about the sauerkraut... although I've never seen it in Germany, it could be a local recipe in a smaller town. Sauerkraut in Germany DOES NOT taste like the sauerkraut in the US. It may sound disgusting, but you might be thinking of the sauerkraut you get in a jar in the US. That is nothing like what you get in Germany. REAL sauerkraut would probably taste pretty good with gyros

I'm curious about the sauerkraut thing. Most Americans think of it as a sort of pickled cabbage. As sauerkraut comes from Germany (as far as I know, though this may be my American ignorance showing yet again) I guess you'd be the one to ask.

I'm aware the stuff you get in a jar is not a good representation of even "American" sauerkraut; it's mushy, for one, but you said "taste." How does the taste differ?

Kelly

 

[nrkelly]

it's NOT sauerkraut. Most of the doner places serve a little salad w/ it that's more like a mayonnaise-less coleslaw. It's raw white cabbage w/ a tart vinegary dressing on it. VERY good.

 

[KellyM]

it's NOT sauerkraut. Most of the doner places serve a little salad w/ it that's more like a mayonnaise-less coleslaw. It's raw white cabbage w/ a tart vinegary dressing on it. VERY good.

Are you responding to my post?

 

[nrkelly]

yes. I forgot to quote. sorry about that.

 

[velochic]

Hey Kelly... um, I think Kelly is saying that the salad served with Döner in Germany is not sauerkraut. I've never eaten Döner with this salad on the side or on the sandwich, so I'm not sure what it is.

But to answer your question about sauerkraut in Germany... it is NOT really sour. It is very mildly flavored. You taste the cabbage, not the vinegar. I guess I can compare it to real Italian dishes where the pasta is DRESSED, not DROWNED like in the US... sauerkraut is dressed cabbage, not this mushy swimming ick you get in the US. Does that make sense? I don't know if I can explain it because you just have to taste it. It's fresh and refreshing. Maybe Cara can explain, if she's around. She's German, though, so she may have not had to suffer the ill effects of American sauerkraut.

 

[Andy M.]

...You taste the cabbage, not the vinegar...

Vinegar? What vinegar?

 

[velochic]

Vinegar? What vinegar?

What do you mean "what vinegar"? Are you being cheeky?

 

[Andy M.]

What do you mean "what vinegar"? Are you being cheeky?

I'm not trying to be cheeky.

As far as I know, sauerkraut isn't made with vinegar so that's why I was asking.

 

[cara]

Sauerkraut is not made with vinegar, it is made with Lactobacillus... that brings the sour taste....

as far as I know, Gyros is the greek version made with pork meat and doener is turkish made with lamb or chicken... but I think that came because of BSE, when people didn't want to eat beef or something like that...

and for the best kebap-Discussion:
the Dönerbutze here in Hannover at the Hildesheimer Strasse has the best in the world.. ;o)
you get it with white and red Krautsalat (kind of coleslaw, but tastes different - as far as I remember), mixed salad, hot sauce, Zaziki etc...

 

[velochic]

I'm not trying to be cheeky.

As far as I know, sauerkraut isn't made with vinegar so that's why I was asking.

I'm pretty sure here, it's prepared with some sort of acid... vinegar, wine, I think even lemon juice for some recipes, probably. I don't make it because you can buy such good sauerkraut.

Is it not made with vinegar in the US? I don't remember. Maybe that is one of the differences that makes it taste better to me here. But the acid is very subtle. And of course there are lots of different ways to make it. Now you have my curiosity up. I'm going to have to go google for some recipes.

ETA: "prepared" instead of "made" because "make" implies the method of pickling.

 

[velochic]

Sauerkraut is not made with vinegar, it is made with Lactobacillus... that brings the sour taste....

For the pickling. But I'm talking about the prepared dishes. I know some of my favorites in Munich are made with red wine in them, along with some onions and other seasonings. I've had it prepared with cider vinegar, too. But I've never actually made a sauerkraut dish at home.

 

[Andy M.]

My original point was that sauerkraut is made with cabbage and salt, no vinegar.

If you susequently use the sauerkraut in a recipe that adds vinegar, that's a different discussion.

 

[SHAMALICIOUS]

Is lamb gyros the same thing as donner?

 

[velochic]

My original point was that sauerkraut is made with cabbage and salt, no vinegar.

If you susequently use the sauerkraut in a recipe that adds vinegar, that's a different discussion.

Okay. I guess I haven't eaten sauerkraut, then, just sauerkraut dishes. I didn't realize the difference. Thanks!

 

[velochic]

Is lamb gyros the same thing as donner?

Yes. Döner or Döner Kebap in Turkish. It's usually a lamb and beef mixture along with some spices.

 

[SHAMALICIOUS]

I loveeeee donner! Donner with a proper sweet & sour sauce. Yummmm. How do they make it there? here it is 70% fat, so i try n not have it very often lol

 

[nrkelly]

I loveeeee donner! Donner with a proper sweet & sour sauce. Yummmm. How do they make it there? here it is 70% fat, so i try n not have it very often lol

I've never heard of eating them with sweet and sour sauce... I've never seen one w/ any fat either. the fat drips down into a pan.

 

[SHAMALICIOUS]

aww you lucky bum. you can have it without worrying about the calories! lol over here its full of fat, so can only have it occasionally. different places serve it with different sauces, but the one i prefer is usually a sweety kinda soury sauce, its abit tangy/spicy too, quite nice, it goes well with the donner

 

[Ishbel]

You seem to have some strange eating places where you live, Shamalicious.... Get yourself over to Edinburgh, the doners are good in most of the takeaways, with the same method of the oil dripping out of the meat stack before they cut off thin slices which is served with fresh salad in a pitta bread pocket.

Mind you, we do get offered curry sauce or sweetnsour on a fish supper!

 

[nrkelly]

aww you lucky bum. you can have it without worrying about the calories! lol over here its full of fat, so can only have it occasionally. different places serve it with different sauces, but the one i prefer is usually a sweety kinda soury sauce, its abit tangy/spicy too, quite nice, it goes well with the donner

no offense shamalicious, but are you sure it's a donner (or gyro) you're talking about? With a mixture of lamb, beef, and spices wrapped in a pita from either a Turkish, Greek, or Mid-Eastern place? It looks like this: