For three years, we lived about as far east as you can go on the Turkish Mediterranean. Beautiful, soulful place. We grew to love the people, the culture, the carpets, the history, and the food. (Oh, that food. . .) We were aware that Germany has the largest Turkish population outside of the country of Turkey, so we’ve never been surprised as travellers (and now residents) in Germany to find lots of carpet shops and kebab stands.
So why were we surprised to find that many kebab restaurants here have married Turkish kebabs with German tastes? And who knew that kebab and tzatziki sauce could be so fabulous with red cabbage!!! We first had this in Trier, but have repeated the discovery numerous times in towns all over the German map. And why shouldn’t the idea spread–it is so very, very good! Especially if the cabbage has been marinated (in what, I don’t know–just pure, unadulterated deliciousness!).
On the SeriousEats website, Steen Bjorn Hanssen offers the following insights into the popularity of Turkish food in Germany:
Döner Kebab, or just döner, is undoubtedly the most popular street food in Germany and has become part of the German culinary culture and vocabulary, much like Indian chicken tikka masala has in the UK. The döner was first introduced to the Berliner neighborhoods of Kreuzberg (known as Little Istanbul) and Neukölln in the early 1970s by Turkish immigrants invited to contribute to west Germany’s Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle). It quickly spread to other (west) German urban centers and following German reunification became so popular, you’ll find a döner stand in every single German town today, even in Bavaria.
(You can read his full article at http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/02/germany-doner-kebab-street-food-meat.html)
I love the comparison of Turkish food in Germany to Indian food in England–and it rings true to my ears. Not only was Indian food outrageously popular in England, but the quality of Indian food we ate there was unmatchable. And, if popular myth is true, Chicken Tikka Masala (England’s most popular Indian dish) is not so much Indian as an Indian hybrid–created by chefs in the UK. Much like our German Berliner/Turkish Kebab.
Everybody likes to put their own spin on a story–even when that story is a culinary dish. And I’m all for it! Let the worlds collide–and our tummies and tongues will be the happier for it.
Travels and Tomes: One Expat's Amblings and Ramblings 
Drooling over here! We are headed back to Germany on March 27th and the husband and I both agreed the the VERY first thing we will eat is a Kebab from our favorite place!!!
Yep, most kebab in the States doesn’t measure up. Enjoy your trip back to Germany, and guten apetit!
Looks delicious! Makes me wonder…. Are what you are calling kebabs basically the same as what we consider to be Greek gyros? And if not, does any one know what makes the difference?
Well, it was simplistic to say “kebab,” because I’m thinking about a whole menu full of things, spanning the traditional chunks of meat on a kebab and also the shaved “gyros” meat, and even the “turkish/armenian pizza” that is lamachun. They all take on a new twist here in Germany–and all yummy.
I lived in Cologne for six years: the durum doner was what I ate when I was zapped.