Turkey has submitted an application to the European Commission to list dune as a food with protected traditional status.
The country is applying for a certificate of protection, such as Bulgarian products such as the Troyan sausage and the “Elena” fillet, the Spanish Hamon Serrano, the Italian “Neapolitana” pizzas, mortadella and “Amatrichana” pasta.
It is issued by the European Commission for the so-called Register of foods with a traditionally specific character and aims to protect the products from falsification and abuse, as well as guarantee the traditional methods and recipes for their production.
Turkey’s request is for the name “duner”, and the country is applying for the same status for Turkish delight, Turkish coffee, Turkish baklava and Turkish yogurt.
The aim is that in Europe these foods can be offered under this name only by producers who follow the registered method of preparation with the respective specific products.
Turkey’s request for the name “duner” is only for the meat that is prepared for the product, which in Bulgaria, for example, traditionally comes wrapped in bread with additives such as fried potatoes, salad and sauce.
Turkey’s request is only for the name of the meat “duner”.
According to the Turkish side’s exposition, it is a traditional meat product prepared by placing thinly and horizontally cut pieces of beef, sheep or chicken meat on a stainless steel skewer. They are cooked by rotating vertically around the axis against the fire. Before cooking, the pieces of meat are marinated in a mixture of yogurt or milk, puree of peppers or tomatoes, spices, herbs and salt. When baking, pieces of bacon or tallow are placed between the meat.
The fat content should not be more than 25% for red meat doner and more than 20% for chicken. Salt is up to 2%. The döner cannot contain more than 1% protein of non-animal origin, starch or soy.
When cutting pieces, start from the top down, and the taste should be grilled.
Duner, the application says, began to spread from Istanbul to various cities in the Ottoman Empire from the beginning of the 19th century. According to a manuscript cited in the document, the vertical way of cooking “düner” dates back to 1546.
That is why, according to the Turks, Greece was the first country in Europe where the duner entered – in 1922, but during the migration of people between the two countries. There it is called “gyros”.
There can be no non-animal protein in the dune.
This food has become a cultural symbol of the Turkish emigration to Europe, especially in Germany, as early as the 1960s and 1970s, the application says. According to the Association of Turkish Düner Makers, the first one in Germany was made in Berlin in 1972. Since then, the name and method of preparation have not changed and have spread throughout Germany and other European countries.
The term “duner” is associated with a traditional cooking technique, not a geographical area, the Turks said. The name comes from the verb “donmek”, or spin.
The registration applied for by Turkey – for food with a traditionally specific character – is different from the protected designation of origin or geographical indication schemes.
It does not concern the place where the food in question is made – for example Westphalian ham or Irish whiskey – but only the method of production.
Turkey’s request was submitted on April 24. There is now a three-month discussion phase in which other parties can challenge the registration request.
If the dunner gets special status, it would be big news for Europe, where the dunner business is estimated to be worth around 3.5 billion euros, according to figures from the Turkish Dunner Producers Association.
It has long since become the most popular street food in Germany.
