Regional variations

Shawarma, döner and gyro share a common ancestor but split hard on meat, marinade, sauce and bread. Here's how the classic three compare, side by side.

Lebanese shawarma

Meat: Chicken or beef, marinated then stacked and shaved thin.
Marinade: Yogurt or vinegar base with garlic, cumin, coriander, allspice.
Sauce: Toum (whipped garlic sauce) for chicken; tahini for beef.
Bread: Thin, soft markook or Arabic flatbread.

Wrapped tight with pickles and pressed on a hot plate to crisp.

Turkish döner

Meat: Beef or lamb, sometimes chicken, stacked in dense vertical loaves.
Marinade: Yogurt, milk, onion juice, oregano, black pepper.
Sauce: Simple garlic yogurt or a mild tomato sauce on the plate.
Bread: Pide or lavash for durum wraps; served on rice for İskender.

The knife work is the show — long, near-parallel strokes.

Greek gyro

Meat: Pork most commonly, or lamb-beef blend, stacked and rotated.
Marinade: Olive oil, oregano, garlic, lemon, sometimes red wine vinegar.
Sauce: Cool tzatziki — yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill.
Bread: Thicker, pillowy pita, often oiled and flash-grilled.

Typically wrapped with fries tucked inside.