| Course | Snack or main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Canada |
| Region or state | Nova Scotia |
| Created by | Peter Gamoulakos |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Spiced ground beef, donair sauce |
| Part of a series on |
| Canadian cuisine |
|---|
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The donair is a Canadian variation of a doner kebab wrap which originated in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 1970s. Unlike the conventional doner or gyros, it is characterized by it's usage of spiced ground beef, and its distinct sweet sauce. It is a staple of Atlantic Canadian fast-food cuisine, and can be found in many pizzerias and other fast food restaurants such as the King of Donair restaurant chain. In 2015 the donair was made the official food of Halifax.
History edit
There are competing claims of who invented the variation, but the most prominent origin story was made Leo Gamoulakos, who alleged that his Greek immigrant father , Peter Gamoulakos was the first to sell donairs from his restaurant, Velos Pizza. According to Gamoulakos, his father tried to sell Greek-style gyros in the early 1970s, however, it was not well liked by the public. In order to satisfy the palate of the locals, he replaced the conventional usage of pork and lamb with spiced ground beef, and replaced the tzatziki with a sweet and spicier sauce (now commonly known as donair sauce) made with condensed milk, vinegar, sugar, and garlic. The alterations made to the recipe became significantly more popular, and in 1973, Gamoulakos opened the first King of Donair restaurant, which specialized in his new creation. Although, intially sold under the doner name, the spelling was eventually changed to donair to accommodate for the common local pronunciation. In 2015, the City of Halifax recognized the donair as the city's official food.
Preparation edit
Variations edit
The main variation of the donair is donair pizza, where the typical donair ingredients are laid out on a pizza dough, before being covered in mozzarella cheese and baked.
In Western Canada, restaurants and other vendors will also use the donair moniker from Atlantic Canada, however, their product is usually more similar to the authentic doner or gyros recipe, and will rarely serve them with the sweet donair sauce.