A Polish Döner

Heavy lunch in Bulgaria

Döner with egg in Bulgaria

The most common fast food you’ll find throughout the Mediterranean, and into parts of the Balkans is the Döner Kebab, although you may also find it called a Donner Kebab or Gyro. We have to admit, in a pinch, this was easy, fast and cheap food. Now, we are not saying this is great food — no PCF. Greece and Turkey both have much better food to eat but sometimes you need easy, fast and cheap food.

You know it’s authentic when the place is called Zorba’s…

The Döner starts with cuts of meat from a vertical spit set up in front a fire or coals. The meat, chicken, pork or beef depending on what the region usually eats, cooks slowly, dripping juices down onto the lower portions which are cut away first.

The requisite veggies

Gyro in Rhodes

This now tasty and tender meat is placed in a thick flat bread with such additions as french fries, tzatziki, lettuce, onions or tomatoes, sometimes mayo. French fries appear to be the only necessity of a proper Döner besides meat and flatbread. Only Bulgaria adds pickles, something we wish we had known ahead of time as Jeremy hates pickles and Eva had to eat two Döners all by herself.

No one can contain their excitement around the Döner

Supposedly also popular in Australia, Döner kebab is quietly infiltrating the world.

The Döner’s answer to Micky D’s in Poland