Street Food · Spit-Roasted Classic

Shawarma

Photo: Syed Hussaini / Unsplash · Unsplash License

Much of the shawarma sold on Israeli streets is turkey rather than lamb or beef — a swap that makes it cheaper and easier to keep kosher, without changing the vertical spit it's still carved from.

Shawarma is meat stacked in layers on a vertical rotisserie, seasoned and slow-roasted as it turns, then shaved off in thin ribbons to order. Street stalls across Israel pack it into pita or rolled laffa bread with hummus, tahini, pickled vegetables, and fries.

Why it's made this way: The vertical spit-roasting method spread across the Levant from the late Ottoman döner tradition; in Israel, turkey often replaces red meat because it's cheaper and simpler to certify kosher.

Full guide: what Shawarma is and how to make it, on the Shawarma page from Jordan.