Is shawarma the new burger and fries?
It certainly seems that way in Ottawa, the unofficial shawarma capital of Canada.
The number of restaurants and lunch bars selling shawarma has exploded over the past several years. “Maybe 125 in Ottawa,” speculates Adel Azzi, owner of Really Lebanese Food in Ottawa’s east end.
Meanwhile traditional fast food sources, like McDonald’s, are losing market share. McDonald’s Corp. recently reported a 21% decline in quarterly profits.
Analysts point to a shift in eating habits. More people are looking for healthier alternatives.
And shawarma appears to be one of those alternatives. The middle-eastern meat dish is prepared by slow-roasting meat, including chicken, lamb, or beef, on a vertical spit. The meat is then shaved and mixed with fresh vegetables, garlic, hummus, or other ingredients.
“You can have it with salad. You can have it in a sandwich. And it’s very healthy,” says Kazem Rida, manager of Prince Gourmet in Ottawa’s Byward Market. He says they make their shawarma out of lean chicken breast and the ingredients are prepared fresh daily.
Shawarma is certainly perceived to be healthier by the customers we spoke with. “It’s not like fast food with fat, grease, and everything,” says Sebastien Proulx.
The popularity of shawarma certainly got a boost a few years ago in the Hollywood blockbuster “The Avengers” - currently the third highest grossing movie of all time. In one scene, Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man asks his fellow super heroes “Have you ever tried shawarma?” And they do. Fans who stay to the very end of the credits are treated to a scene of the heroic group quietly sitting around a table eating shawarma.
