Turkey pushes for European protections on traditional doner kebab

Turkish authorities hope to secure the same status for the meaty dish as French champagne and Spanish serrano ham have (Picture: Shutterstock)

Turkey wants to guard the country’s most beloved food with the same status as French Champagne.

The meaty delicacy is no joke in the country that sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

Turkish officials are now pushing for the name ‘doner kebab’ to be reserved solely for those samples of the dish that conform to strict production methods and serving specifications after they reportedly filed a petition for protection under European Union law.

Similar measures are in place to protect the traditional formats of Span’s serrano ham and Italy’s Neapolitan Pizza.

Turkey’s proposal is now subject to a three-month evaluation process, and if successful would result in an ‘EU standard’ on what can and cannot be called a doner kebab.

This would apparently include specifications that the slices of beef and lamb famously included in the dish would need be cut to a thickness of between 3mm and 5mm.

The chicken variety, meanwhile, would need to be cut slightly thinner, between 1mm and 2mm thick.

Traditionally, doner kebabs are produced by marinating the meat in a mixture of pepper, tomato puree, herbs, spices, salt and yoghurt.

Doner is usually made using lamb and beef or chicken and served with bread, lettuce and tomatoes (Picture: Getty Images)

The meat is then placed on a vertical skewer that it is turn rotated against a fire, with thin slices pared back from the skewer as it cooks from the outside in.

Once ready, the shavings are often served in bread along with lettuce, sliced tomato and raw onions, with some varieties also including french fries within the sandwich itself.

According to the Association of Turkish Doner Producers, Europe’s doner kebab economy is thought to be worth an estimated £2,900,000,000 annually.

During the consultation process, other countries will be able to challenge Turkey’s application for protected status.

In this past, this stage has often proven the source of controversy – such as when Italy accused Croatia of plagiarising ‘prosecco’ with its own domestic dessert wine, ‘prosek’.

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