8:55 Chicken is very popular in Turkey for döner. You have the generic chicken döner as well as a more regional one (Hatay style) that got pretty popular as well. Hatay style has its own tomato sauce and is almost always served inside lavash bread. Over the years chicken even got more popular than the traditional döner, because meat got very expensive in Turkey. So meat döner is something one would get to get a well made döner and is ready to spend some more money on it, while chicken döner is cheap and is like a street food in that sense. Its a quick and cheap food that is very popular to get especially after drinking, partying etc.
it is interesting to see someone say chicken(tavuk) döner is not a thing in turkey while eating it on a probably turkish restaurant called Rüyam which means my dream in turkish.
One thing to mention though. While chicken döner started as "cheap variation of döner" it evolved to its own thing. So there's also gourmet chicken döners too. And lots of people (including me) would prefer a gourmet chicken döner to your regular gourmet meat döner. While we mentioned chicken döner, although it is not a döner, tantuni is also a must try and actually kinda in the same food category as döner.
Thought that too, Clubmate is maybe more popular in Berlin, but I've never seen anyone drink it with Döner anywhere else unlike Uludag, which you can get in every Döner place
Yeah, I think it was just an excuse by andong to have Alex try a Club mate lmao Uludağ, Ayran and Fanta Exotic (for some reason I cannot comprehend) is the holy trinity of drinks to get with a classic Berlin Döner.
Roasting meat on a vertical spit wasn't invented in Berlin. What was invented in Berlin was putting that kind of meat into a sandwich and stuffing it with some vegetables and salads. Also, the kind of sauce that was put on there, is a typical Berlin invention. Iskender kebab, for example, existed long before Berlin döner ever came to the scene. It's the Berlin-style döner that then found its way around Europe, although with slight alterations in almost every country. In the Netherlands, for example, the way of serving döner is very similar, to the Berlin style, only the sauces are different. In the Flemish part of Belgium, it's normal to have many of the fry-shack sauces on offer, so you can have "Samurai sauce" on your döner. In the Walloon part, the döner looks more like it does in large parts of France, where they have a tendency to put fries on it. The "Berlin-style-döner" became so popular, that it eventually found its way back to Turkey, where it's now far more common to serve döner meat in a pide or wrap. It's less common to be offered the same style sauces as in Berlin though. Iskender style Döner Kebab is probably still one of the most popular ways of eating kebab in Turkey. It's not served as a sandwich, but on a plate, topped off with molten butter. So, döner kebab can be quite different depending on where you eat it. I personally think, the Berlin Style, with the Berlin sauces are still the best. That's also a concept that actually gets exported around the globe. German Döner Kebab or Berlin Döner Kebab has become a thing of its own. Last time I was in France, I was offered tomato ketchup on my Döner Kebab... yuck?! France may be a culinary melting pot, but in regards to Döner Kebab, you still have a way to go. ;)
@@xwaltranx Every time I visit a Greek/Armenian/Bosnian restaurant, I chuckle after seeing the menu - yup, that's what "rebarnding" looks like.... Greek coffee ffs 🤣🤣🤣
Nowadays in Turkey chicken döner is consumed even more than the regular one but its mostly due to the economic situation since chicken is cheaper. Back in the day though it was a dish more commonly found in the Antakya(Antioch) region due to the mixture of the Turkish and Levantine cuisine there.
The dutch döner variation you should try is kapsalon, it originated in Rotterdam, for some time you could only get it there. But it has spread and now its all over in the Netherlands and even belgium, nepal and indonesia. Its french fries, covered with döner meat,, dutch cheese melted over in the oven, sause and then covered with a salad. Origin story is a barber ordered/came up with it and it became a regular thing, barbershop is kapsalon in dutch.
According to consumer protection sources, you're not even allowed to call the "mystery meat" spits "Döner" in Germany. That's why those places them "Fleischspieß" - meat spit. "Döner Kebab" has to contain actual spices of meat (and tastes much better than mystery meat)
Andong summarized the german experience with döner so well haha "that sauce is for when you have a date after" and the fact that it should be the sauce combo. Liebs! Grüße!
Alex, mon frère, middle Eastern style kebab or shawarma (especially Syrian or Lebanese) are delicious and their style is unique, the sauces, the condiments and the marinate or the meat is different from all other kebabs, and believe me they are so worth mentioning in your kebab series!!
@Alex I wanna give some context because the claim of germany inventing Döner is misrepresented a bit: When the "german döner kebab" come into existence, previously it was a style of food you ate like you (Alex) ate it in Istanbul. On a plate, while sitting. The guy who invented the version you ate with Andong just moved the contents off the plate into the bread. Döner Kebab is a term that means a lot of different things and yet refers to the same product. In germany when we say Döner we mean the mean + veggy in a pide, when turkisch people say Döner they mean what you ate in Instanbul. So the claim "germany invented the döner" just means "germany invented the food as you see it in this video". Not the base product itself. This was the work of the Ottoman Empire.
Exactly, this is not an invention but a derivation in which many toppings gather along with döner to make a good sandwich. While I tasted and still prefer turkisch one, I must say that the berliner part is so good to have it as a course.
It also was a Turkish migrant who invented this variant of Döner. He just adapted it to the German market. So as a German I definitely wouldn’t claim it as a German invention. But I definitely appreciate it ❤ 🥙🇹🇷
guys i am from bursa türkiye this is our dignity döner i am also so happy to see it became of german eating traditon by different ways I respect all of the ideas
Actually Bursa's famous dish is iskender kebap, not döner. Since Bursa kebab is made out of ground beef, döner cannot be considered the markable dish of Bursa. Maybe Ankara, Artvin etc.
TH-cam puts ads on the video (or you pay for Premium), Alex puts ads in the video (for his cookware), Sponsor spots in the video (at the start and partway through). It’s getting bloody ridiculous, triple dipping ads. Congrats Alex, you just got me to install SponsorBlock. Good job.
Hey Alex! Big fan from México here! I guess the only natural progression is to have a go at 'Tacos al Pastor' in México City! But please, please don't sleep on Tacos Orientales in Puebla! I believe there's a lot rich history to uncover there. (I particularly recommend that you visit any 'La Oriental' restaurant)
Chicken döner came to Turkey in the same time the Gemüse Kebab is invented in Germany, at the height of Mad Cow Disease in the 90s. The first type of chicken döner, which so many people are now feeling nostalgic for, is a simple döner sandwich with French fries, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and ketchup and mayo if you want. The second type of döner, which came from the Levant as the Syrian migration boomed in the early 2010s was originated from Hatay and surrounding areas. It's a dürüm/wrap with a heavy, garlicky tomato sauce with the same sauce spread on the lavash bread and toasted on a flat top grill. I don't think every place can pull this particular style off, it heavily depends on the sauce being good or bad. So, when you come to Turkey for another time, try these two döner dishes: A real Hatay style dürüm in Hatay, and an İskender kebab in Bursa, which is the döner you ate in İstanbul, served on top of dried up pide croutons, topped with tomato sauce and drizzled with delicious brown butter, preferably yogurt served on the side.
Great explanation and I agree with the suggestions. I would maybe add trying cağ kebab in addition to those, though it's a different game. Although chicken döner is quite popular in Turkey as well these days, some people still associate chicken döner with lower quality. My dad for instance never even would try chicken döner. I took him to Rüyam when he visited me in Berlin, and he said we ended up in Burgermeister next door.
@CagdasAlt I'm from Erzurum and I think Cağ Kebab is something very, very different from döner. The original style of marination and the choice of the cuts of lamb makes cağ a completely different type of kebab. But yes, I should have suggested that as well. And your dad isn't alone with his thought of chicken döner being the low quality option, many people in Turkey, including me, think like that as well. In my opinion, chicken döner is more akin to fast food, while the original döner is something you enjoy, it's for celebration.
@matti_ngb not really, I've tried actual shawarma in Syrian and Lebanese restaurants in Istanbul and the Hatay dürüm I walk about is a completely different thing. The sauce I mentioned is different than toum or any other garlic sauce that goes in shawarmas
9:26 €6,00 is not a bargain, it's a nightmare! Before the pandemic, a (decent) Döner was between €3,50 and €4,50. Now you pay €6,00 to €8,00 with Ayran it's €10 or more. For street food in Berlin, this is not cheap anymore. 😕
ja kollege, und vor 30 jahren hat n laib brot 20 pfennig gekostet. kosten sind hochgegangen, plus inflation oben drauf, sollte dich nicht wundern, dass n guter döner keine 3,50 mehr kosten kann. vielleicht sollte man eher mal beim chef fragen, warum der lohn mit der inflation nicht mitgegangen ist (besonders bei firmen die jahr auf jahr erneut rekordprofite schieben).
Thank you to Turkey and its wonderful people for gifting the world the döner, a delicious enduring symbol of culinary ingenuity that has brought joy and flavor to countless hearts around the globe 🇹🇷
This.. was.. AMAZING! I´m from Germany and my top german cooking TH-camr would be Andong and my top International and overall would be you by a LONG SHOT! You got me into cooking when the first lockdown happend, i learned so much in your Ramen-Series and adapted so much from it, now i´m a decent Homecook for my Wife! Best Collab 2024, i´m good for Cristmas now, thx Alex!
When I moved to Berlin from Kiel in 2000, Ording Döner was a big shock. meat went from layers of lamm and sometimes beef to fine minced beef, and in Berlin everyone used this 1/4th of a bread, that was way too much. I was used to either bread they made themself or way thinner versions of Turkish bread. Sadly meat quality didn’t went up in Berlin, but went down everywhere else over time, them starting to also make their own bread is a good thing, as Berlin 24 years ago made me order dürüm all the time!
I want to correct a few things (yes, I’m Turkish:) So, döner made with chicken is very popular in Turkey because it’s cheaper and there are a few types of chicken döner and what makes them differ from each other their sauce. And it is quite common to drink coke with döner and it makes a great companion as it compliments the saltiness of döner with its sweetness. But of course, ayran is our champion, especially if it is made out of sour yoghurt. Also, you might want to try şalgam, which is fermented turnip juice. It is something you either fall in love with or hate (unfortunately it might not be for our European friends but who knows, you might like it). And finally, on a personal note, this is a great series as always. Also, it is great to see you getting better Alex, as you have been looking very tired on earlier episodes. Take care. P.S. I love the German döner but it is not a match for the Turkish OG döner.
9:00 In fact chicken Döner has been a quintessential part of the Döner scene in Turkey for a long time now (at least 20-ish years would be my guess). It started out as a more affordable, street-food style option particularly for students since the meat quality for the classic döner made it a bit too expensive for a student budget. Over the years however, with the struggling economy, chicken has (arguably) become more popular than the veal-lamb döner, since it's mega affordable in comparison. As of now, I feel like chicken is the go-to for most Turks. The chicken döner has become a quick, on-the-go, street-food type of döner much like in Germany whereas the veal-lamb has become more of a sit-down and enjoy your meal kind of occasion. Another important thing is the "Hatay Style" chicken Döner that has become EXTREMELY popular in the past 3/4-ish years. Before that, chicken döner was eaten "Büfe" style (Büfes are small food stalls on the street or small corner shops who serve Turkish fast food like chicken döner, turkish style hot dogs, wet hamburgers, köfte, etc. and on-the-go items like cigarettes, lighters and snacks, exactly like a New York Bodega) which is just the chicken in bread with some veggies like lettuce and tomatoes. However in recent years, a style of chicken döner from the Hatay region has dominated the chicken döner scene, which is made with a special tomato-based sauce and homemade garlic mayonnaise, served almost exclusively in a wrap with fries, pickled gurkins and pickled peppers. Nowadays for many students, lower and middle class families, chicken döner is the go-to.
I have also mentioned the chicken döner comment on the first video of the series however he didn't care about it maybe he didn't see it but in Turkey at least in Anatolia chicken döner is more popular than the meat one.
Salut Alex and Andong! This is the collaboration I have waiting for in this series. Andong, I still use your homemade recipe (even if I have modified it slightly to my own preferred taste) but it's always delicious! 🙂😋❤
Turkish people do use chicken, it is seen as a fast food just like in germany and is actually much more popular in turkey compared to the beef version because it is almost 4 times cheaper.
Salut Alex, When you came back in Paris you need to try Mehmet Kebab near Sacré-Coeur. In my opinion, best Dönner in town ! Beautiful meat, amazing side dish and a solid selection of natural wines. Yes, Kebab and Wine... what a treat ! Love from Alsace.
I love it when people from all over get so excited about the same thing and want to share. Oh you should try this you should try that! Food is amazing.
The problem about the Kebaps in Berlin and generally in Europe, they are mostly made of minced meat. Not in the the way of putting leafs of meats onto each other. That mostly kills the taste of the traditional one and makes it more simple tasted we could say. I think that is why it is better as a sandwich, with all the stuff inside. The meat doesn't taste as good, you have to cover it with something. I don't say European döner doesn't taste good, it is a variation. However, it can't be more than a fast food I think. Traditional döner is on another level.
I think the question of "Who invented kebab?" is kinda like "who invented pizza?" In the end, different places have their own, iconic, signature takes on it. And that is why traveling to different places and experiencing the "original" or "local variant" of something is so important.
Döner prices in Berlin always make me want to cry. Here in the countryside the prices went from 5DM in 2001 to 5€ in 2002. A regular sized chicken döner costs around 8-9€ now.
Trust me, with each time you Drink Mate, it gets better and better. The experience is similar to coffee. But in sommer this is the ultimate refresher and cooler
chicken kebab was invented in berlin, back in the days of mad cow disease ( kreuzfeld jakob), people became anxious of beef, and tadaaa chicken kebab was born.
This very much reminds me of your older meatballs series. Turkey gave birth to an excellent meal yet its journey into the West altered it beyond perfection.
chicken döner is very popular in turkey. it is just not traditional and is usually a budget meal. it is a recent invention out of necessity (meat prices) actually. 1960s were the time chicken döner started to be made. mostly, you eat chicken döner to fill yourself for a good price. it doesn't have the cultural relevance or gastronomic importance of döner made from beef or lamb but it is part of the everyday life for millions of turkish students and working-class people. only traditional chicken döner styles in turkey are from hatay. one is antakya chicken döner and the other is iskenderun chicken döner. both are wrapped with a regional tomato sauce. antakya style has french fries and mayo in it, iskenderun style has onion-tomato salad and some fresh herbs. by the way, lately, there are recent gastronomic arguments on social media about chicken döner, too. some turkish people claim chicken döner with no sauce and in sandwich bread (only with fresh veggies) is the best way to consume it. note: town of bodrum in muğla (another turkish city) has a regional style döner made with grilled vegetables but it is also usually made with beef döner. similar vegetables to gemüse kebap in berlin is grilled on the vertical skewer with döner and they are cut just like döner. not this much fresh vegetables or any cheese in it though. there is another turkish style traditional beef döner served with sauce and it is called iskender (alexander in greek). it is served on a plate and doused with a tomato butter sauce on the table. under it, there are sliced pide pieces and buffalo yoghurt on the side. turkey is a döner haven. i know and appreciate how much german people love it but the variety and history it has in turkey cannot be matched or compared to anywhere else in the world. claiming döner is a local german food just because berlin style or gemüse döner is akin to american people claiming sushi is a local american food just because roll-style sushis were invented on american soil. it doesn't matter how much you repeat it, in the end it is just not true.
Every time I visit Germany, I make sure my hotel is near a doner kebab. Luckily, most train station have one and after flying from California, most airports have them too. I didn’t know that people thought they originated from Germany. I always thought they came from the Middle East. A little research showed me that it originated from the Ottoman Empire. Even my beloved al pastor tacos originated from this. 😂
@@tookitogoYou’d think so. I used to get mine booked by someone else. The furthest I’d go is probably is 4 blocks. Making it back to the hotel with all those taverns on the way, I’d probably end up in Ukraine.
Alex! This is perfect opportunity to come visit Norway! Our national dish is jokingly said to be the Rullekebab, and I bet you it is a lot better than what you have in Paris!
In switzerland we have dönners close to the one in germany; in the round pita bread or flat bread, we have lamb or chicken (you can get both), carrots oninon salad or cabbage and tomatoes, and for the sauce we have a yogurt sauce with fien herbs and a spicy one. In Budapest I also had one where the two meats were beef or chicken
Also across Germany i would say that 80% are having it with garlicy yoghurt-sauce instead of some red sauce. But yes, we Germans are obsessed with Döner - every small town has at least one place for it.
That first doner is exactly what you would get in the UK! Emulsified mystery meat, red/white cabbage, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, onions etc. along with garlic and/or chile sauce in a pitta bread.
Collab that everyone hoped for
.... for $200 Alex
For years I've hoped!
Oooh yeah I saw the start of this series and this was where my mind went to instantly too.
Yooo the Andong collab 😍 that's great I've been subscribed to them for over 5/6 years
Ha, i just wanted to write that too, and than it's the first comment i read.
Hungry minds think alike, it seems :D
8:55 Chicken is very popular in Turkey for döner. You have the generic chicken döner as well as a more regional one (Hatay style) that got pretty popular as well. Hatay style has its own tomato sauce and is almost always served inside lavash bread.
Over the years chicken even got more popular than the traditional döner, because meat got very expensive in Turkey. So meat döner is something one would get to get a well made döner and is ready to spend some more money on it, while chicken döner is cheap and is like a street food in that sense. Its a quick and cheap food that is very popular to get especially after drinking, partying etc.
ngl I'd prefer Zurna over meat every day
makes sense, Alex went to a more fancy and "old-school" döner place in turkey
When I was in Istanbul, I used to go eat the chicken döner at this chain restaurant close to my hotel called Anas Chicken. It was SO GOOD.
it is interesting to see someone say chicken(tavuk) döner is not a thing in turkey while eating it on a probably turkish restaurant called Rüyam which means my dream in turkish.
One thing to mention though. While chicken döner started as "cheap variation of döner" it evolved to its own thing. So there's also gourmet chicken döners too. And lots of people (including me) would prefer a gourmet chicken döner to your regular gourmet meat döner.
While we mentioned chicken döner, although it is not a döner, tantuni is also a must try and actually kinda in the same food category as döner.
When he mentioned there's a second drink to drink with Döner my first thougt was Uludağ
Thought that too, Clubmate is maybe more popular in Berlin, but I've never seen anyone drink it with Döner anywhere else unlike Uludag, which you can get in every Döner place
Yeah, I think it was just an excuse by andong to have Alex try a Club mate lmao
Uludağ, Ayran and Fanta Exotic (for some reason I cannot comprehend) is the holy trinity of drinks to get with a classic Berlin Döner.
Would have guessed Fritz had they not suggested that it's definitely not cola lol.
why not beer ???
@@pritvijheengut definitely also very popular, but there's also many Shops that don't sell any alcohol due to being muslim.
Roasting meat on a vertical spit wasn't invented in Berlin. What was invented in Berlin was putting that kind of meat into a sandwich and stuffing it with some vegetables and salads. Also, the kind of sauce that was put on there, is a typical Berlin invention. Iskender kebab, for example, existed long before Berlin döner ever came to the scene.
It's the Berlin-style döner that then found its way around Europe, although with slight alterations in almost every country. In the Netherlands, for example, the way of serving döner is very similar, to the Berlin style, only the sauces are different. In the Flemish part of Belgium, it's normal to have many of the fry-shack sauces on offer, so you can have "Samurai sauce" on your döner. In the Walloon part, the döner looks more like it does in large parts of France, where they have a tendency to put fries on it.
The "Berlin-style-döner" became so popular, that it eventually found its way back to Turkey, where it's now far more common to serve döner meat in a pide or wrap. It's less common to be offered the same style sauces as in Berlin though. Iskender style Döner Kebab is probably still one of the most popular ways of eating kebab in Turkey. It's not served as a sandwich, but on a plate, topped off with molten butter.
So, döner kebab can be quite different depending on where you eat it. I personally think, the Berlin Style, with the Berlin sauces are still the best. That's also a concept that actually gets exported around the globe. German Döner Kebab or Berlin Döner Kebab has become a thing of its own. Last time I was in France, I was offered tomato ketchup on my Döner Kebab... yuck?! France may be a culinary melting pot, but in regards to Döner Kebab, you still have a way to go. ;)
Andong is talking about ayran like alex never went to turkey lol
ayran => Persian
@paulthomas8262 it's Turkish mate 😂 ffs. What next? Now you will say yoğurt is Greek? 😂
@@xwaltranx Every time I visit a Greek/Armenian/Bosnian restaurant, I chuckle after seeing the menu - yup, that's what "rebarnding" looks like.... Greek coffee ffs 🤣🤣🤣
@@xwaltranx Persians call it "Durgh" anyway/
@@xwaltranx yoğurt comes from Mesopotamia
I absolutely love how casual you two are together. Alex this is the most relaxed we've ever seen you. I hope this was a fun addition to the series
Nowadays in Turkey chicken döner is consumed even more than the regular one but its mostly due to the economic situation since chicken is cheaper. Back in the day though it was a dish more commonly found in the Antakya(Antioch) region due to the mixture of the Turkish and Levantine cuisine there.
The dutch döner variation you should try is kapsalon, it originated in Rotterdam, for some time you could only get it there. But it has spread and now its all over in the Netherlands and even belgium, nepal and indonesia. Its french fries, covered with döner meat,, dutch cheese melted over in the oven, sause and then covered with a salad. Origin story is a barber ordered/came up with it and it became a regular thing, barbershop is kapsalon in dutch.
As a Turkish living in Netherlands I agree but leaves you with even more guilt after eating it lol
kapsalon is life :D
I tried kapsalon on a recent visit to Flevoland - can confirm, delicious, basterderised in the best way, and demands a 5k run to sidestep the guilt
kapsalom is a cheap german Döner plate.........
@ stop the cap… 🧢 kingmyass
According to consumer protection sources, you're not even allowed to call the "mystery meat" spits "Döner" in Germany. That's why those places them "Fleischspieß" - meat spit. "Döner Kebab" has to contain actual spices of meat (and tastes much better than mystery meat)
Andong summarized the german experience with döner so well haha "that sauce is for when you have a date after" and the fact that it should be the sauce combo. Liebs! Grüße!
Alex, mon frère, middle Eastern style kebab or shawarma (especially Syrian or Lebanese) are delicious and their style is unique, the sauces, the condiments and the marinate or the meat is different from all other kebabs, and believe me they are so worth mentioning in your kebab series!!
Hell yeah, also you can’t have Shawrma without Tahini in the Middle East, (from Palestine)
The series is not over, I'm sure he'll try it too
My favorite shawarma combo is hummus, fries, pickles and pomegranate molasses 🤤
Alex, I just want to say it is SO GOOD to have you back in my TH-cam feed regularly. Missed your energy and passion!
Omg, thank you for showing my comment, I'm honoured.
thanks for what exactly?
Yes! A collaboration between two of my favourite foodie TH-camrs! So happy to be watching this.
@Alex
I wanna give some context because the claim of germany inventing Döner is misrepresented a bit:
When the "german döner kebab" come into existence, previously it was a style of food you ate like you (Alex) ate it in Istanbul. On a plate, while sitting. The guy who invented the version you ate with Andong just moved the contents off the plate into the bread.
Döner Kebab is a term that means a lot of different things and yet refers to the same product. In germany when we say Döner we mean the mean + veggy in a pide, when turkisch people say Döner they mean what you ate in Instanbul. So the claim "germany invented the döner" just means "germany invented the food as you see it in this video". Not the base product itself. This was the work of the Ottoman Empire.
Exactly, this is not an invention but a derivation in which many toppings gather along with döner to make a good sandwich. While I tasted and still prefer turkisch one, I must say that the berliner part is so good to have it as a course.
@@ege-sucu1 Just like the Greeks and the Gyros, all of them come from the Turkish Doner Kebab
you are in exactly the same situation as America with hamburgers and hot dogs. Leave the kebab to the Turks, it is convenient for you
It also was a Turkish migrant who invented this variant of Döner. He just adapted it to the German market. So as a German I definitely wouldn’t claim it as a German invention. But I definitely appreciate it ❤ 🥙🇹🇷
guys i am from bursa türkiye this is our dignity döner i am also so happy to see it became of german eating traditon by different ways I respect all of the ideas
Actually Bursa's famous dish is iskender kebap, not döner. Since Bursa kebab is made out of ground beef, döner cannot be considered the markable dish of Bursa. Maybe Ankara, Artvin etc.
TH-cam puts ads on the video (or you pay for Premium), Alex puts ads in the video (for his cookware), Sponsor spots in the video (at the start and partway through). It’s getting bloody ridiculous, triple dipping ads. Congrats Alex, you just got me to install SponsorBlock. Good job.
😭😭😭😭😭😭
Hey Alex! Big fan from México here!
I guess the only natural progression is to have a go at 'Tacos al Pastor' in México City! But please, please don't sleep on Tacos Orientales in Puebla! I believe there's a lot rich history to uncover there. (I particularly recommend that you visit any 'La Oriental' restaurant)
Chicken döner came to Turkey in the same time the Gemüse Kebab is invented in Germany, at the height of Mad Cow Disease in the 90s. The first type of chicken döner, which so many people are now feeling nostalgic for, is a simple döner sandwich with French fries, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and ketchup and mayo if you want.
The second type of döner, which came from the Levant as the Syrian migration boomed in the early 2010s was originated from Hatay and surrounding areas. It's a dürüm/wrap with a heavy, garlicky tomato sauce with the same sauce spread on the lavash bread and toasted on a flat top grill. I don't think every place can pull this particular style off, it heavily depends on the sauce being good or bad.
So, when you come to Turkey for another time, try these two döner dishes: A real Hatay style dürüm in Hatay, and an İskender kebab in Bursa, which is the döner you ate in İstanbul, served on top of dried up pide croutons, topped with tomato sauce and drizzled with delicious brown butter, preferably yogurt served on the side.
Great explanation and I agree with the suggestions. I would maybe add trying cağ kebab in addition to those, though it's a different game.
Although chicken döner is quite popular in Turkey as well these days, some people still associate chicken döner with lower quality. My dad for instance never even would try chicken döner. I took him to Rüyam when he visited me in Berlin, and he said we ended up in Burgermeister next door.
@CagdasAlt I'm from Erzurum and I think Cağ Kebab is something very, very different from döner. The original style of marination and the choice of the cuts of lamb makes cağ a completely different type of kebab. But yes, I should have suggested that as well. And your dad isn't alone with his thought of chicken döner being the low quality option, many people in Turkey, including me, think like that as well. In my opinion, chicken döner is more akin to fast food, while the original döner is something you enjoy, it's for celebration.
The second one being shawarma right?
@matti_ngb not really, I've tried actual shawarma in Syrian and Lebanese restaurants in Istanbul and the Hatay dürüm I walk about is a completely different thing. The sauce I mentioned is different than toum or any other garlic sauce that goes in shawarmas
Ahhh yeahhhhh Alex and Andong! Two of my favs!! Love Andong’s gemüse kebab episode
9:26 €6,00 is not a bargain, it's a nightmare! Before the pandemic, a (decent) Döner was between €3,50 and €4,50. Now you pay €6,00 to €8,00 with Ayran it's €10 or more. For street food in Berlin, this is not cheap anymore. 😕
ja kollege, und vor 30 jahren hat n laib brot 20 pfennig gekostet. kosten sind hochgegangen, plus inflation oben drauf, sollte dich nicht wundern, dass n guter döner keine 3,50 mehr kosten kann. vielleicht sollte man eher mal beim chef fragen, warum der lohn mit der inflation nicht mitgegangen ist (besonders bei firmen die jahr auf jahr erneut rekordprofite schieben).
If the meat would be better, then it’s ok… but the quality doesn’t changed.
Ohh he did it he actually did it
8:50 nah we have chicken döner too but its a whole different thing.
As a Berliner, I say this is the crossover this important topic deserves! Andong is a local hero.
You can't have a series on Kebab without speaking to Andong 👍 the man knows his Kebabs 👍
Thank you to Turkey and its wonderful people for gifting the world the döner, a delicious enduring symbol of culinary ingenuity that has brought joy and flavor to countless hearts around the globe 🇹🇷
Yes!! My two fav TH-cam food geeks, united at last!
Really disappointed that the second drink was Mate instead of Uludag.
Me too!
Same. I have never seen a Döner outside of Berlin that even offers Mate.
That collab. Merci Alex
This.. was.. AMAZING!
I´m from Germany and my top german cooking TH-camr would be Andong and my top International and overall would be you by a LONG SHOT! You got me into cooking when the first lockdown happend, i learned so much in your Ramen-Series and adapted so much from it, now i´m a decent Homecook for my Wife! Best Collab 2024, i´m good for Cristmas now, thx Alex!
I love how Alex is traveling around the world, putting together a team of Kebab Avengers.
Love Andong's vids on kebab and doner, nice to see more collabs.
Superb combination of creators. Excellent!
Having visited Berlin once; the late night doner kebab experience is a fond memory!
OMG I love this so much. What a collab!
Love this collaboration. You made me smile throughout this video
I expected your Döner-journey to make a detour to berlin, I was not disappointed.
Great to see you working with Andong again ;)
Salut Alex, thank you for another episode. You were very kind in your review.
love this serie and all the collabs in it, merci Alex
As a Döner lover, I absolutely love this series!
Fun Fact: The chicken Döner which the Gemüse kebab is based on was invented because of the BSE crisis ("Mad cow" disease) in the late 90s.
When I moved to Berlin from Kiel in 2000, Ording Döner was a big shock. meat went from layers of lamm and sometimes beef to fine minced beef, and in Berlin everyone used this 1/4th of a bread, that was way too much. I was used to either bread they made themself or way thinner versions of Turkish bread. Sadly meat quality didn’t went up in Berlin, but went down everywhere else over time, them starting to also make their own bread is a good thing, as Berlin 24 years ago made me order dürüm all the time!
seeing two favorite cooking channels in the same video...
I want to correct a few things (yes, I’m Turkish:)
So, döner made with chicken is very popular in Turkey because it’s cheaper and there are a few types of chicken döner and what makes them differ from each other their sauce.
And it is quite common to drink coke with döner and it makes a great companion as it compliments the saltiness of döner with its sweetness. But of course, ayran is our champion, especially if it is made out of sour yoghurt. Also, you might want to try şalgam, which is fermented turnip juice. It is something you either fall in love with or hate (unfortunately it might not be for our European friends but who knows, you might like it).
And finally, on a personal note, this is a great series as always. Also, it is great to see you getting better Alex, as you have been looking very tired on earlier episodes. Take care.
P.S. I love the German döner but it is not a match for the Turkish OG döner.
I literally brought back Salgam bottles in my luggage 😂
@@FrenchGuyCooking I'm glad that you liked it😀
9:00 In fact chicken Döner has been a quintessential part of the Döner scene in Turkey for a long time now (at least 20-ish years would be my guess). It started out as a more affordable, street-food style option particularly for students since the meat quality for the classic döner made it a bit too expensive for a student budget. Over the years however, with the struggling economy, chicken has (arguably) become more popular than the veal-lamb döner, since it's mega affordable in comparison. As of now, I feel like chicken is the go-to for most Turks. The chicken döner has become a quick, on-the-go, street-food type of döner much like in Germany whereas the veal-lamb has become more of a sit-down and enjoy your meal kind of occasion.
Another important thing is the "Hatay Style" chicken Döner that has become EXTREMELY popular in the past 3/4-ish years. Before that, chicken döner was eaten "Büfe" style (Büfes are small food stalls on the street or small corner shops who serve Turkish fast food like chicken döner, turkish style hot dogs, wet hamburgers, köfte, etc. and on-the-go items like cigarettes, lighters and snacks, exactly like a New York Bodega) which is just the chicken in bread with some veggies like lettuce and tomatoes. However in recent years, a style of chicken döner from the Hatay region has dominated the chicken döner scene, which is made with a special tomato-based sauce and homemade garlic mayonnaise, served almost exclusively in a wrap with fries, pickled gurkins and pickled peppers. Nowadays for many students, lower and middle class families, chicken döner is the go-to.
Alex does not care about facts.
I have also mentioned the chicken döner comment on the first video of the series however he didn't care about it maybe he didn't see it but in Turkey at least in Anatolia chicken döner is more popular than the meat one.
Perfect collab right there. Love to you bros🫶🏻
Finally the peak Kebab episode
You haven't had the full German Döner experience until you've eaten a Pommes Döner Box at 3am while drunk
Extra points if you suspect there might be some horse meat in there.
Now Alex needs to hook up with Matty Matheson and get a Halifax Donair.
Happy Holidays Alex!
Salut Alex and Andong! This is the collaboration I have waiting for in this series.
Andong, I still use your homemade recipe (even if I have modified it slightly to my own preferred taste) but it's always delicious! 🙂😋❤
I am really looking forward to seeing more collabs with Andong. The two best food-TH-camrs out there ❤
This is the collab I’ve been wishing for! Please repeat it ❤
Turkish people do use chicken, it is seen as a fast food just like in germany and is actually much more popular in turkey compared to the beef version because it is almost 4 times cheaper.
Salut Alex,
When you came back in Paris you need to try Mehmet Kebab near Sacré-Coeur.
In my opinion, best Dönner in town ! Beautiful meat, amazing side dish and a solid selection of natural wines.
Yes, Kebab and Wine... what a treat !
Love from Alsace.
I love it when people from all over get so excited about the same thing and want to share. Oh you should try this you should try that! Food is amazing.
Love the videos Alex!
Hyped. Been waiting for this since you said filming in berlin
Mustafa's Gemüse Kebab is something to die for
The problem about the Kebaps in Berlin and generally in Europe, they are mostly made of minced meat. Not in the the way of putting leafs of meats onto each other. That mostly kills the taste of the traditional one and makes it more simple tasted we could say. I think that is why it is better as a sandwich, with all the stuff inside. The meat doesn't taste as good, you have to cover it with something. I don't say European döner doesn't taste good, it is a variation. However, it can't be more than a fast food I think. Traditional döner is on another level.
I want a kebab now, and i didnt even watch the vid yet
As soon as Alex started researching kebab I knew or maybe just really hoped for this collab
I'm in Turkey, I ate chicken döner 12 years ago and since then döner is döner when it's made with chicken for me.
Best series EVER!
I think the question of "Who invented kebab?" is kinda like "who invented pizza?" In the end, different places have their own, iconic, signature takes on it. And that is why traveling to different places and experiencing the "original" or "local variant" of something is so important.
The collab we all hoped For
Döner prices in Berlin always make me want to cry. Here in the countryside the prices went from 5DM in 2001 to 5€ in 2002. A regular sized chicken döner costs around 8-9€ now.
11:40 Adamsın Alex!
I had my first Berlin döner kebab underneath a DildoKing sign
That’s how you do it. Cheers
Trust me, with each time you Drink Mate, it gets better and better. The experience is similar to coffee. But in sommer this is the ultimate refresher and cooler
two of my favorite youtubers... together... nice :)
Too bad you can't visit St.Petersburg for an ultimate shawerma kebab with another absolute kebab guru Yury Khovansky.
I wonder what happened, what can't?
@vOdessit 0:19 - apparently Alex travels only direct flights😜
I didn't see this colab coming. But I absolutely should have, because it makes so much sense
chicken kebab was invented in berlin, back in the days of mad cow disease ( kreuzfeld jakob), people became anxious of beef, and tadaaa chicken kebab was born.
I learned that Döner Kebap was invented in Berlin for the workers, who needed a good lunch. Holding the 1/4 bread in your hand made it easy to eat.
Yes! Since the first episode I was like "If he doesn't go to Berlin and visit Andong I'm going to be pissed!" 😃
This Andong guy either thinks or believes what the ingredients are. So well informed. I'm sure Alex didn't like the döners he ate in this series.
Woo hoo, my two favorite European TH-camrs. 😎
Alex AND Andong? WOW!!
Alex needs to make a Leberkäs series next. I want him in Linz, Austria! 😀 Great work as always!
"THIS IS WAY BETTER THAN MOST KEBAB YOU CAN FIND IN PARIS, IN FRANCE"
I'm glad Alex noticed the difference!!
The ultimate junk food will always be the Rotterdam Kapsalon :)
Considering German history and German reputation It makes me so proud that today we are famous for Turkish cuisine.
This very much reminds me of your older meatballs series. Turkey gave birth to an excellent meal yet its journey into the West altered it beyond perfection.
The COLLAB OF THE CENTURY
chicken döner is very popular in turkey. it is just not traditional and is usually a budget meal. it is a recent invention out of necessity (meat prices) actually. 1960s were the time chicken döner started to be made. mostly, you eat chicken döner to fill yourself for a good price. it doesn't have the cultural relevance or gastronomic importance of döner made from beef or lamb but it is part of the everyday life for millions of turkish students and working-class people. only traditional chicken döner styles in turkey are from hatay. one is antakya chicken döner and the other is iskenderun chicken döner. both are wrapped with a regional tomato sauce. antakya style has french fries and mayo in it, iskenderun style has onion-tomato salad and some fresh herbs. by the way, lately, there are recent gastronomic arguments on social media about chicken döner, too. some turkish people claim chicken döner with no sauce and in sandwich bread (only with fresh veggies) is the best way to consume it.
note: town of bodrum in muğla (another turkish city) has a regional style döner made with grilled vegetables but it is also usually made with beef döner. similar vegetables to gemüse kebap in berlin is grilled on the vertical skewer with döner and they are cut just like döner. not this much fresh vegetables or any cheese in it though. there is another turkish style traditional beef döner served with sauce and it is called iskender (alexander in greek). it is served on a plate and doused with a tomato butter sauce on the table. under it, there are sliced pide pieces and buffalo yoghurt on the side. turkey is a döner haven. i know and appreciate how much german people love it but the variety and history it has in turkey cannot be matched or compared to anywhere else in the world. claiming döner is a local german food just because berlin style or gemüse döner is akin to american people claiming sushi is a local american food just because roll-style sushis were invented on american soil. it doesn't matter how much you repeat it, in the end it is just not true.
Every time I visit Germany, I make sure my hotel is near a doner kebab. Luckily, most train station have one and after flying from California, most airports have them too. I didn’t know that people thought they originated from Germany. I always thought they came from the Middle East. A little research showed me that it originated from the Ottoman Empire. Even my beloved al pastor tacos originated from this. 😂
Doesn’t nearly any hotel in Germany qualify, then? 😛
@@tookitogo apparently not for a Californian who has to ride by car to get to the next street.
@@tookitogoYou’d think so. I used to get mine booked by someone else. The furthest I’d go is probably is 4 blocks. Making it back to the hotel with all those taverns on the way, I’d probably end up in Ukraine.
great collab
Alex! This is perfect opportunity to come visit Norway! Our national dish is jokingly said to be the Rullekebab, and I bet you it is a lot better than what you have in Paris!
Berlin style Döner Kebab is great. Growing up in Germany before moving to Scotland, Döner was on the menu at least once a month
DrÖner makes you schÖner!
Best Döner I‘ve ever eaten in whole Alemandistan, you can get at „KaravanSaray“, Keupstrasse in Cologne/Kölle am Rin‘.
Club mate and gemüse dones are the two things I miss most from the time I stayed in berlin, hands down.
In south of Spain we put olives in the kebab and it’s awesome 😍
One corredction: You can also have Uludag lemonade with a Döner. Has like 13 Grams of sugar per 100ml.
Thank you so much for the fan service.
In switzerland we have dönners close to the one in germany; in the round pita bread or flat bread, we have lamb or chicken (you can get both), carrots oninon salad or cabbage and tomatoes, and for the sauce we have a yogurt sauce with fien herbs and a spicy one. In Budapest I also had one where the two meats were beef or chicken
I'm eating a Kebab watching this video :D
great collab, would have been crazy cool to see you guys on the street in berlin :)
Also across Germany i would say that 80% are having it with garlicy yoghurt-sauce instead of some red sauce.
But yes, we Germans are obsessed with Döner - every small town has at least one place for it.
That first doner is exactly what you would get in the UK! Emulsified mystery meat, red/white cabbage, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, onions etc. along with garlic and/or chile sauce in a pitta bread.