The European Commission has given Türkiye and Germany six months to resolve a dispute over the recipe for doner kebab. If the countries fail to reach an agreement, the EU will independently determine the standards for preparing this popular dish in German restaurants, daily.afisha.ru reports, citing The Economist.
The conflict began in 2022, when Türkiye asked the EU to oblige German establishments to prepare döner according to the traditional Turkish recipe. According to it, marinated meat (beef, chicken or lamb) is roasted on a vertical spit, wrapped in pita bread and served with French fries, tomatoes and hot peppers. Ankara took advantage of the EU's Traditional Specialities Act (TGS; products are given a special label).
Germany opposed the proposal. In European countries, doner kebab is prepared differently: the meat is topped with cabbage or lettuce, topped with sauces (such as garlic) and wrapped in pita bread. Interestingly, this version of the dish was created by Turkish immigrants in Germany in the 1970s.
The total sales of doners in Europe are around 3,5 billion euros, of which 2,3 billion come from Germany. If the Turkish side gets its way, the European version of the dish will have to be sold under a different name.
