Travel Oman: Shawarma, Oman's favourite street food

The best way to describe a shawarma would be - ‘no one can eat just one’. The truth is that this lovely wrap of delicious, 'finger-licking' goodness is so scrumptious that you simply cannot have just one. Unless you’re full, that is. In that case, please stop if you’ve had enough. This food draws its origins from Turkish cuisine, and the shawarma has found a special place in the hearts (and stomachs) of Omani nationals and foreigners alike, and is now an extremely popular street food across the Sultanate.
It is not hard to spot the trademark conical skewer, made from thinly sliced cuts of seasoned, marinated chicken, lamb, beef or mutton, slowly spinning around a bed of coals or a gas-fired flame, as it cooks in its own juices, across several cafeterias and restaurants in Oman.
From humble coffee shops that serve it with French fries and salad, to high-end restaurants that do more elaborate versions of it, shawarma’s ubiquitous presence, easy affordability and delicious taste have made it a must-try for all those who come to the Sultanate.
Many restaurants do slightly different versions and alternative takes on the original, infusing or drawing inspiration from other cultures to incorporate into the shawarma. An example of this is the tandoori chicken shawarma, which is often served with a spicy green chutney, instead of the standard hummus and garlic sauce. Either way, it’s hard to not find a shawarma connoisseur, and if you happen to find someone who doesn’t fancy it, it’s probably because they haven’t had it before. We’d like to ask you to change that once and for all.