Why is a donner kebab called a “donner” and why is a shish kebab called a “shish”?
Kebab (from Persian کباب, kabāb) means “grilled (or broiled) meat” in Persian and Turkish (spelled Kebap in Turkish). Döner kebab, literally “rotating meat” in Turkish, is a sliced lamb or chicken loaf slowly roasted on a vertical rotating spit. Shish kebab (şiş kebap in Turkish) is a wooden or metal stick (a skewer in Turkish). The name literally means ‘skewer of grilled meat’ in Persian.
