Shawarma

Shawarma is a famous food in the UAE. Almost every nationality in this country eat Shawarma either for lunch, snack or dinner.


Shawarma is a sandwhich-like wrap of either shaved lamb, goat, turkey or the famous chicken or beef. The meat is placed on a spit usually grilled for as long as a day. It is considered as a fast-food staple in the Middle East, Europe, the Caucasus and North Africa.

Shawarma is eaten with pita bread, lavash bread, tabouli salad, fattoush salad, taboon bread, tomato and cucumber. Toppings include tahini, hummus, pickled turnips and amba.

Shawarma is shared by many country variations.

Shawarma is made by placing strips of beef, lamb or marinated chicken on a stick; an onion or tomato is placed at the top of the stack for flavoring. The meat is roasted slowly on all sides as the spit rotates in front of, or over, a flame for hours.

Traditionally a wood fire was used, now a gas flame is common. While specialty restaurants might offer two or more meat selections, some establishments have just one skewer.

In a restaurant,when someone will buy, the meat is shaved off the stack with a large knife, an electric knife or a small circular saw, dropping to a circular tray below to be retrieved. Vegetables usually included in a shawarma are cucumber, onion, tomato, lettuce, eggplant, and cabbage. French fries is commonly added in a shawarma in the Middle East.

The dressing usually includes a garlic sauce with mayonnaise.