27.07.2024. / 10:58
BERLIN – A dispute over kebabs broke out between Germany and Turkey. The International Doner Kebab Federation, based in Turkey, is trying to secure protected status for this popular dish, which Germany opposes.
PHOTO: Pixabay
If the federation’s efforts are successful, companies in the EU will not be allowed to use the name doner kebab unless they meet strict criteria.
In April of this year, the International Doner Kebab Federation (Udofed) submitted a proposal to the European Commission for the inclusion of doner kebabs in the European scheme of traditional specialties of guaranteed quality.
The association wants the definition of doner kebab to be subject to strict criteria, from the precision of the meat and spices to the thickness of the knife used to cut the meat. If the Union succeeds with its proposal, companies in the EU would no longer be allowed to use the name doner kebab if they do not meet these strictly defined criteria, the French news agency AFP reported.
In its submission, Udofed states that the doner originates from the Ottoman Empire and cites a recipe found in manuscripts dating back to 1546.
The union’s move, however, has drawn criticism in Germany, where the doner kebab has become a symbol of the country’s large Turkish community. The German capital Berlin even lists the doner kebab as a “Berlin invention”.
“Doner belongs to Germany. Everyone should be allowed to decide for themselves how to prepare and enjoy it here. We don’t need any guidelines from Ankara,” criticized German Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, whose parents emigrated from Turkey.
The ministry called the Turkish proposal imprecise and contradictory. They estimate that this would have major economic consequences for the German gastronomic sector.
The German government therefore lodged an objection to the Turkish request on Wednesday. If the objection to the union’s request is deemed acceptable, both sides will have half a year to reach a compromise.
The chef of one of the Turkish restaurants in the German capital, Birol Yagci, expressed his concern to AFP that, according to the federation’s proposal, only beef, lamb or chicken would be allowed in the doner kebab.
“It’s different here. The traditional recipe is made from veal,” he explained.
According to the Association of European Doner Kebab Manufacturers (ATDID), Germany accounts for two thirds of doner kebab sales in Europe, and the market is worth 2.4 billion euros per year.
Source: www.capital.ba
