Turkey and Germany are trying to stake their unique claims to döner kebabs, a world-famous snack, and neither side is going down without a fight.
Driving the news: Turkey is trying to regulate what can legally be sold as a ‘döner kebab’ across the European continent, under the same quality scheme that protects some of the world’s most famous food products, like Italy’s Pizza Napoletana and Spain’s Jamón Serrano.
Catch-up: Foods with "traditional specialty guaranteed” status must be made using traditional production methods and ingredients. In the case of a Turkish kebab, that means regulating how the beef is sourced, the spices used in the marinade, and how thinly the meat can be sliced.
- It’s similar to protections extended to products that come from specific regions, like Champagne from France or Parmesan from Northern Italy.
- While regional protections are easily defined, what’s seen as ‘traditional’ can be interpreted with more nuance, which could complicate Turkey’s application
Big picture: The majority of the €3.5 billion worth of döner kebabs sold every year in Europe are bought by Germans, who embraced the snack in the 1970s and have since come up with many diverse ways to prepare it. If Turkey’s bid is granted, it would narrow what can be sold.
Bottom line: And that’s kind of the point: to preserve the history and quality of famous foods. Maybe another type of national dish made with french fries, cheese curds, and gravy (but is increasingly being served with bacon and hollandaise) could benefit from the same type of protections.—SB