I wanted to take a break this week to talk to you about a little curry treat that occupies a lot of my culinary time. It is a wonderful blend of some of God’s greatest ingredients, and bears a name many seem to pronounce like they’ve had a retainer lodged down their throats.
A shawarma is a magical masterpiece that many try to create, but fail beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Many restaurants and pubs try to recreate this dish, but miss the key ingredients, trying to pass it off like they know what they’re doing. For the most part, people eat it without question. It’s a dish that the Middle East and Europe made popular and is now a staple in cities with high populations of immigrants and businesses run by families who know the recipe.
I’m only disappointed with a few places in the city, because I order the dish frequently.
I ordered a chicken shawarma in our very own caf and was horrified as they fried curry chicken on a flat-top grill and served it with lettuce and tomato. It was more of a souvlaki than a shawarma. Shawarma meat is only acceptable from a spit, much like donair meat, and without pickled turnips it is pure rubbish. If the caf wants to serve this dish, they should at least Wikipedia it.
If you want to eat a shawarma done right, go downtown to the Midsea Eatery. You’ll then understand my outrage.
Shame-awarma, Fredericton.
