Kebab vs shawarma vs gyros: what's the difference?
Döner kebab, shawarma and gyros are all carved from a vertical spit. Here's how they differ in origin, meat, sauce and bread.
In Singapore you'll see all three names on menus, sometimes for the same thing. They are related: each is meat roasted on a vertical spit and carved into slices. But they come from different places and taste different.
The short answer
| Döner kebab | Shawarma | Gyros | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Turkey | The Levant and wider Arab world | Greece |
| Usual meat | Chicken, lamb or beef | Chicken, lamb or beef | Pork or chicken |
| Sauce | Garlic yoghurt and chilli, or none | Garlic sauce (toum) or tahini | Tzatziki |
| Bread | Pide, flatbread or thin lavash wrap | Thin flatbread | Thick pita |
Döner kebab
The Turkish original. The meat is stacked by hand, slow-roasted and shaved off in very thin slices. In Turkey it's served on a plate with rice, in half a loaf of bread, or as a dürüm wrap. Iskender kebab, döner over bread with tomato sauce, butter and yoghurt, is one of its best-known forms. Read the history of döner.
Shawarma
The Arab version, popular from Lebanon to the Gulf. Its name also comes from a Turkish word for "turning". Shawarma marinades often use warm spices, and it's usually wrapped in thin bread with garlic sauce or tahini, pickles and sometimes fries.
Gyros
The Greek version, whose name also means "turn". Gyros is usually pork or chicken, served in a thick pita with tomato, onion, fries and tzatziki.
So which one are you eating in Singapore?
Many shops in Singapore use "kebab" and "shawarma" interchangeably. If the meat is thinly carved from a spit and served with garlic yoghurt in pide or a wrap, it's closest to Turkish döner. If it comes with toum, pickles and fries, it's shawarma style.
At Singapore Kebab we serve the Turkish way: chicken and lamb kebab carved thin, with warm bread, salad, garlic yoghurt and chilli. See every dish on our menu.
Quick answers
Is shawarma the same as kebab?
Not exactly. Both come from a vertical spit, but döner kebab is Turkish and usually carved thinner, while shawarma is the Arab version with its own spices and garlic or tahini sauce.
Is gyros Greek or Turkish?
Gyros is the Greek version of spit-roasted meat. Its name, like döner, means turn.
