United Arab Emirates (UAE). Abu Dhabi. Downtown. A cook is cutting chicken meat for a shawarma sandwich. Shawarma is a dish in Middle Eastern cuisine consisting of meat cut into thin slices, stacked in a cone-like shape, and roasted on a slowly-turning vertical rotisserie or spit. Originally made of lamb or mutton, today's shawarma may also be chicken, turkey, beef, or veal Thin slices are shaved off the cooked surface as it continuously rotates. Shawarma is one of the world's most popular street foods in the Arabian Peninsula. Shawarma is prepared from thin cuts of seasoned marinated chicken. The slices are stacked on a skewer about 90 cm high. A motorized spit slowly turns the stack of meat in front of a heating element, continuously roasting the outer layer. Shavings are cut off the rotating stack for serving, customarily with a long, sharp knife. Shawarma is commonly served as a sandwich or wrap, in a flatbread such as pita or laffa. It is often garnished with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions, pickled vegetables, and tahini sauce. In the Middle East, chicken shawarma is typically served with garlic sauce, fries, and pickles. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a country in Western Asia at the northeast end of the Arabian Peninsula. 20.02.2020 © 2020 Didier Ruef