Shawarma Facts for Kids

Shawarma meat being cut. The meat is roasted in a special oven before making it into a sandwich.

Shawarma (Arabic: شاورما) is a super popular and tasty meat dish from the Middle East. It's often served as a sandwich, wrapped in a special kind of flatbread. Imagine delicious, thinly sliced meat, fresh vegetables, and yummy sauces all rolled up together!

The name "shawarma" comes from the Turkish word çevirme (Turkish: Çevirme), which means "turning." This is because the meat is cooked on a tall, spinning rotisserie, slowly turning as it cooks.

What is Shawarma?
How is Shawarma Made?
Where Did Shawarma Come From?
Images for kids
See also

What is Shawarma?

Shawarma is a type of sandwich or wrap that's very popular in countries like Turkey, Lebanon, and other parts of the Middle East. It's a kind of street food that many people enjoy.

It's usually made with thin slices of meat that have been cooked slowly. The meat can be lamb, beef, turkey, or chicken. These meat slices are then put into a round, flat Arabic bread. Fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, and onions are added. Finally, a special sauce or spice mix is put in to give it extra flavor.

How is Shawarma Made?

The main part of shawarma is the meat. Large pieces of meat are stacked on a tall, vertical rotisserie. This rotisserie slowly spins in front of a heat source, like a grill. As the meat cooks, the outer layers get crispy and juicy.

When it's ready to be served, a chef uses a long, sharp knife to shave off thin slices of the cooked meat. These slices are then used to fill the bread with vegetables and sauce. It's a very fresh and flavorful way to enjoy a meal!

Where Did Shawarma Come From?

Shawarma first came from the Ottoman Empire, which was a big empire that included much of modern-day Turkey. The Turkish people had a similar dish called döner kebab. The word döner also means "turning."

Over time, this way of cooking meat spread to other parts of the Middle East. In different countries, people added their own special touches to the recipe. This is how the delicious shawarma we know today came to be!