German Word of the Day – Dönerstag

Welcome to another edition of fun with words. German word of the day is Dönerstag. Many cultures found a way to combine warm protein and crunchy vegetables in crispy bread. Think Greek Gyros, Vietnamese Bánh mì, or Falafel as a vegetarian option.

Many Berliners believe “we” invented” Döner Kebab. However, the original roots seem to come from Anatolia, Turkey. Döner as we know it today has been established in Berlin in the 1970s and, well, it’s complicated. Do you prefer the roll or the triangle of bread? Which sauce is the best? What is the perfect onion ratio? And should there be corn on a Döner Kebab?

So, without further ado:

Dönerstag

noun (m.): Döner Day

Dönerstag is traditionally on Thursday, which is Donnerstag in German. Pretty smart, ey?

Hey, it’s Dönerstag. We’re shall we go dönieren?

(Which is a perfectly fine verb as well.)

When in Berlin, you can always check out the Dönerguide for best results.

Over the years, the Döner Pizza evolved; a culinary specialty that is so popular amongst some Germans, it made its way to the frozen isle.

Marketing knows no limits.

So, what’s for dinner today? Friday is pizza day, of course. How do you like your kebab?

Have a lovely weekend!

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29 thoughts on “German Word of the Day – Dönerstag

      1. Oahhh. Ist schon lange her, war in Tunesien, da wurde ein Döner am Strand serviert … mit Rührei und Fritten. Ich hab‘s überlebt

  1. I’m kind of a purist: either döner or pizza. But our son eats Döner Calzone (quattro formaggi with extra sauce). My arteries clang shut only hearing about it. And I won’t even mention heartburn.

    1. Oh my. I’ve seen Döner Pizza with a Hollondaise Sauce as a base but your son seems on a totally different level! Best regards to his arteries

    1. Yeah, that’s pretty close. Dressed up with cabagge and salad & stuff. Real soul food. I learned yesterday that is is rather popular all over Europe. But, of course, the original only in Berlin 🙂 (At least that’s what we think.)

  2. I like the word and it looks delicious, frozen or otherwise, but does your cat like it? I’m thinking of that picture with the pizza background.

    1. Ha ha, while she would literally eat anything, that might be too salty for her + we eat that outside, so she is missing out. (By the way, she put on rather impressive winter fat this year but we don’t tell the old lady.) I did check the dictionary and it is not officially in it (yet). Plenty of odd words are beeing added every year. Maybe just a question of time?!?

      1. I have a friend with a cat like that. Years ago my grandparents had a parakeet and my grandfather would “sneak feed” it ham. My grandmother always had a ham in the fridge in case someone stopped by (I’ll make you a ham sandwich – you look hungry.). So she told my grandfather that birds don’t eat ham, but he was busted because the bird saw the ham coming out of the fridge and would chirp nonstop until it got a piece. Hmm. I love oddball words … my boss is a wordsmith and collects unique words and phrases. His favorite word is kerfuffle and he uses it all the time.

  3. Thanks for the lesson. Some how the German language is distantly familiar. 🤔

      1. Somewhere in the language are familiarities with English. I have been told that the English and Germans are cousins… that could be the identity.🤔

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