Tuesday 23 / April / 2024
There isn’t a weekend that passes without a trip to a Shawarma joint. It has become sort of a ritual for me — savouring the juicy, thinly-sliced seasoned meats, aromatic garlic paste, and crispy French fries wrapped in freshly baked flatbread. The smoky taste is etched in my mind, and it is the only meal when I totally forget about calories, simply allowing myself to savour every last bite. But where does Shawarma come from? What are the variations? Most importantly, where’s the best place to indulge? I hit the street to find out.
Shawarma is a seasoned meat, marinated in a blend of herbs and spices, hand-layered and roasted on a cone-shaped vertical rotisserie spit, slivered into bite-sized pieces, and served in a wrap or on a plate along with delicious handmade condiments and breads. It can be made using a variety of proteins, but the most popular in Muscat is chicken. Other varieties include fish, beef, and — my absolute favourite — lamb.
The History
This gastronomic phenomenon can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire, specifically, Turkey in the 18th century, where they used to roast the meat horizontally on fired up charcoal before discovering that roasting it vertically ensured that the chunk of meat enjoyed a full bath of its own fat, which helped it to retain good moisture.
According to Michael Heyne, founder of Shawarma Verts Kebap in Berlin, the Shawarma came under the name of Döner Kabab which translates to “rotating” or “turning”, and was introduced by Iskender Efendi of Bursa, a major city in Turkey.
Thanks to Turkish fellows who migrated to other parts of the world, people got to experience the taste of what they call ‘food of the kings’, and it became tremendously popular and culturally celebrated dish in the Middle East and North Africa. The Arabs adopted this culinary delight and named it Shawarma, known in Turkey as ‘çevirme’, which also means ‘rotation’. Today it is recognised globally, with scrumptious marinade variants and distinctive modern forms.
The Facts
• Shawarma roasts for 15 to 30 minutes, and the sandwiches are swiftly made fresh-to-order.
• They are affordable, averaging OMR0.400 for a small and OMR1 for a large.
• Shawarma can be eaten at any given time, with most shops opening from mid-morning until super-late (I enjoyed a Shawarma brunch and washed it down with a minty yoghurt drink.)
• Shawarma is considered a healthy fast food, containing only 300 to 500 calories per sandwich.
• Shawarma is a street food that is now considered an integral part of Omani food culture.
• Shawarma has a unique homemade feel to it, and the open kitchen it’s cooked in adds to the homey, comfort-food feel.
• Shawarma shavings from the gigantic, 120-kilo cone of chicken at Old Turkish restaurant in Al Khuwair, produces enough meat for 200 large sandwiches.
The Preparation
The process of making Shawarma is intriguing, and although variations abound, there are a few guidelines that are followed and applied by all restaurants.
First things first, getting the meat. According to Chef Sayyid of Good Evening Restaurant in Al Ma’abela, the quality of the meat is absolutely crucial as it can make or break the taste of the Shawarma. So, selecting good meats from trusted sources is essential.
After carefully cleaning the chicken or meat, it is deboned and thinly sliced into several pieces, which ensures they absorb plenty of the marinade, typically made of garlic, onions, tomatoes, salt, herbs, black and white pepper, soft cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, lemon, and Arabic or Turkish spices. They also use vinegar in the mixture to keep the shawarma pile moist and flavourful for more than nine hours on the spit. The marinated meat is left to rest for an entire day in the fridge to allow the spices to infuse the meat.
The next day, the piling session begins. The creative laying process is pure art, and can only be done by the masters themselves. For chicken Shawarma they start off by placing the thighs at the bottom of the spit. Their bulkiness and thick-size make them a perfect fit for the base. Then the master starts layering pieces of chicken onto the spit, along with a few pieces of skin for a crispy texture and additional flavour. The beef is layered in a similar way except that sheep suet (sheep fat) is added between layers of meat to give the roasting meat what I call ‘an excruciatingly lip-smacking’ taste.
The meat pile is placed on a spit and cooked using low to medium heat which is later adjusted to medium-high until the meat is fully cooked. This typically takes 15 to 30 minutes, then the first layer is sliced off, allowing the following layer to be cooked for the same amount of time, then sliced off again, the procedure is repeated till there is no meat left on the spit.
The cooked meat is finely sliced and is usually layered with lettuce, garlic paste, tahina, and French fries inside small pita bread.
Chef Arda Turkmen, a famous Turkish chef I met in Dubai, said that the first cut is usually not good. Opt for the following slices, which will be full of juices since they were not directly exposed to high levels of heat. He also mentioned a fundamental tip: Never turn off the heat or stop the rotation of the meat. Slice continuously to ensure succulent Shawarma and to prevent drying. No one likes a dry Shawarma. True that.
The Variants
There are many Shawarma variation from across the region, each featuring their own distinctive elements. Egyptian Shawarma usually features za’atar (oregano leaves), bell peppers, and yoghurt in the marinade, which gives the meat a milder taste.
Lebanese Shawarma sandwiches are stuffed with sliced onions, fresh parsley, and long, vinegary cucumber pickles, a major variation on the mayo and french-fry-stuffed Turkish Shawarma. The Shawarma master of Yum Yum restaurant in Qurum, Chef Adnan, also adds orange slices into his marinade to add a tangy taste, as well as to make it super tender.
Indian Shawarma sandwiches often contain cabbage, and the meat is sometimes wrap in Indian paratha bread. Usually spicy variants with Indian masalas are on offer. At Al Raihan Coffee Shop in Al Ghubra, they serve a spicy, Mexican-inspired Shawarma marinated with chilies. It is a must-try for spicy food fanatics.
Turkish Shawarma has its own famous variant: Rather than using chunks of meat, sometimes ground beef (which is the original Turkish Doner Kabab), is used. It is super lean, soft, and sticks together when sliced creating a leaf-like form. You have to head to Al Hilal Al Turkey in the Al Khoud Souq to taste this particular Turkish delight.
Read: Enjoy the taste of Iran in Muscat
The Breads
There are three main types of breads used in Shawarma eateries. There is the widely known Lebanese bread, a soft flatbread made with wheat flour and leaven, then there is Turkish bread known as ‘Pide’, which is a thick, broad, rounded flatbread made of wheat and adorned with sesame and Nigella seeds on top, and the last one known as Arabic bread, a paper-thin flatbread, which is larger and softer than Lebanese bread.
Variations include the Indian paratha bread used at some tea shops, and at Yum Yum restaurant they offer unique, French-inspired Shawarma sandwiches served on white and brown French baguettes that are stuffed with Shawarma meat, veggies, and pickles. The aromatic combination of juicy meat, tahina spread, and fresh, hot bread is exquisite.
The Condiments
A Shawarma sandwich is not complete without a set of sauces and pastes that add scrummy, tongue-tingling flavour to the sandwich. Here are the most popular:
• Garlic Mayonnaise: A mushy, creamy paste made from eggs, oil, salt, and lots of garlic — the most popular dip.
• Garlic Paste (Toumiya/Toum): A creamy, fluffy white paste made of garlic, kosher salt, and oil.
• Tahina: An oily paste made from toasted ground hulled sesame seeds.
• Hummus: Cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahina sauce and olive oil.
• Hummus Beiruty (Lebanese Hummus): A hummus paste mixed with parsley and some garlic.
• Mutabal: A thick, sour-y paste made from roast eggplants, yoghurt, olive oil, salt, with a few drops of lemon and bit of tahina sauce.
• Other condiments you can enjoy with a Shawarma include ketchup, chilli sauce, and mayonnaise.
Going for a Shawarma will always be on the top of my to-do list every weekend. The intense, fast-paced vibe of Shawarma restaurants excites me and makes me feel the weekend vibe. And, from the moment I open my foiled sandwich and get a whiff of garlic-y meat, until I lick the last drop of tahina sauce from my fingers, I am fully immersed in the experience, enjoying the best that food can be. —[email protected]
Where To Have Shawarma:
1. Good Evening Restaurant
For appetising Egyptian-style beef Shawarma
Al Khair Street, Ma’abela, Seeb
+968 2445 5763
Shawarmas available from 8am to 1pm; 5pm to 3am
2. Al Hilal Al Turkey
For an ultimate Shawarma experience. They serve best beef Shawarma in Muscat
Al Khoud Al Tijiary St, Al Khoud, Seeb, Oman
+968 9268 6557
Shawarmas available from approximately 5pm to 1am
3. Al Raihan Coffee Shop
For spicy Indian-Mexican Shawarma
Al Ghubra, Al Janubiyyah, Muscat, Oman
+968 9725 0005
Shawarmas available from 6pm to 1.30am
4. Old Turkish Restaurant
For the best chicken Shawarma sandwiches in town
Souq Al Khuwair Street, Al Khuwair, Muscat (near Rawasco Supermarket)
+968 2448 7822
Shawarmas available 24-hours
5. Yum Yum Restaurant
For the best and only French-Lebanese Shawarma experience
Al Qurum Gardens Complex, Qurum, Muscat
+968 2205 5055
Shawarmas available from 12pm to 12am
6. Arax Restaurant
For delicious Lebanese-pickled Shawarmas
Oasis Centre, Shatti Al Qurum, Muscat
+968 2460 0935
Shawarmas available from 10am to 12am
7. Baba Salem
For some good old, Turkish Shawarma in a traditional ambiance
2237 Way, Qurum, Muscat (facing Qurum Gardens Complex)
+968 9455 5530
Shawarmas available from 11am to 1am
