In my family, shawarma has had a huge impact on our lives and our traditions. As a child, whenever my parents didn’t feel like cooking, the go-to meal was always shawarma from Pita Pita. Not only was its taste a major crowd pleaser, but it also served as a great source of energy and had a higher mineral content compared to other Middle Eastern foods (Tahani). Whether it was dining in or taking out, we enjoyed it just the same. My family is not ethnically Middle Eastern, but we enjoy eating foods from different cultures, shawarma being one of the most memorable from my childhood. We went so often that it became a tradition for us—part of our culture as a family. I even have memories of eating shawarma before and after my siblings were born. Going to Pita Pita as a child exposed me to different foods from different cultures. It taught me from a young age to indulge myself in things that might be foreign to me.

To be reminded of the sensory experience of eating a shawarma sandwich, my mom and I took a trip to the place we used to eat at so often. Immediately upon entering the store, I ran into a wall of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spices in the air, such as cumin, coriander, and paprika. I ordered two sandwiches, the beef and chicken shawarma, so that I could compare the two and their flavor profiles. Both sandwiches were wrapped in warm, crisp pita bread with meat, tomato, and pickles, while garlic sauce and hummus provided moisture to bind everything together. The seasoning of the marinade, dill from the pickles, and tang from the garlic sauce had my mouth salivating for the next bite. The tenderness of the meat and crunch of the pita wrap engage both texture and taste in perfect balance. The two sandwiches had the same general flavor palettes, but the beef was deeper and more robust, while the chicken was lighter and brighter. Personally, I liked the beef better.