With a variety of restaurants claiming to offer the best shawarma in Abu Dhabi, it can be difficult to find the one that suits your tastes. And there is more than just one way to enjoy the classic appetizer.
Shawarma is a beloved middle eastern dish that is cherished all around the world. The origin of specialty food can be traced back to Turkey (during the Ottoman Empire) in the late 18th century. The term shawarma in Arabic roughly translates to “turning”, which refers to how the meat is turned as it slowly cooks from the inside and out.
How it’s made
To make the best tasting shawarma possible, you need to start preparing at least 24 hours in advance. The choice of the meat used makes a difference in what ingredients are used to marinate the meat.
For the familiar chicken shawarma, a marinade of oil, yogurt, and perhaps tomato paste is used, along with a mix of herbs and spices based on the type of cuisine.
However, when it comes to red meat shawarmas, the marinade used is different compared to what is used for chicken. The typical marinade used for lamb or beef usually consists of a salty water and vinegar mixture enhanced with a variety of herbs and spices, like peppers, chili powder, thyme, parsley, etc, that further seeps into the meat as they are left to marinate over time.
This is what gives the meat its distinctive taste and flavor. You don’t want to have the meat under marinated as it’d result in a tasteless dish, and not over-marinated that feels too overwhelming.
It has to have the right balance so that it complements the sauces, salads, and pickles that all come together to make the shawarma we’ve all come to love.
Long, thin slices of meat and fat are stacked on top of each other on a spinning grill that is left to slowly cook. The fat melts and cooks the meat in and out, keeping it tender and juicy.
Different ways of enjoying a shawarma
The Traditional Wrap
Thinly sliced meat, tomatoes, and pickles, with classic garlic sauce mixed with aromatic herbs all, nicely tucked into a flatbread.
Classic Shawarmas with a Twist
Mexican Style Shawarma
Shawarma spiced up with authentic Mexican hot sauce packs a serious punch that will get spicy food lovers excited.
Turkish Shawarmas
These shawarmas take inspiration from Turkish Cuisine and are not shy about the depth of flavors they look forward to.
Chicken shawarmas are often bundled with sauces made with mayonnaise, and special spices that pair with cucumber pickles, which surprisingly go really well together.
While meat shawarmas take a different approach, rightfully so with a special sauce made with Turkish herbs and spices mixed with other condiments like dry mint, olive and tomato paste to really enhance the flavor of the meat.
French-Inspired Shawarmas
These shawarmas deviate from the traditional shawarma experience to provide a cheesy delight with every bite. The unique sauce made with cheddar sauce and other special ingredients somehow manage to blend in to provide a similar yet distinct taste that is sure to leave a mark on your tastebuds.
It’s neither salty nor overwhelmingly spicy, a perfect blend with a cheesy touch that just so happens to fit in so perfectly with each other.
Where can you enjoy these kinds of shawarmas?
Not many restaurants offer such different takes on the cult-classic shawarmas that most of us are already familiar with, except a few. One of the best shawarma hotspots in Abu Dhabi that you can visit is Shawarma Station. To learn more about their menu and what else they have to offer, you can check out their website.
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