With all the hype about the Euro 2024, you will be forgiven for perhaps failing to notice another, adjacent European competition.
But while football fans cheer on their teams and make heated predictions about which one will come out on top, a different – and decidedly more tasty – tournament has passed under the radar – until now.
While Turkey may not have the bookies excited when it comes to football, the country has triumphed as the foodies’ favourite when it comes to national dishes.
Indeed, when 75,000 Amazon employees representing 108 nationalities voted for their number one dish, twice as many opted for kebabs (28%) compared to the English equivalent of beans on toast (14%), which came second.
Ukrainian Amazon employee Ivanna Mykhalchuk said: ‘I love kebabs, I think they’re a deserved winner. I much prefer a chicken one over lamb but it’s a delicious meal.
Turkey and its kebabs came out on top when 75,000 Amazon employees were asked which European national dish was the best
‘And it’s probably a better dish to watch football with as I’m sure beans on toast could get quite messy!’
But when it comes to the dish voted second place, the 28-year-old said: ‘I just don’t get beans on toast. I’d never tried it before, I’d only heard about it and I’ll be honest, it’s not for me. I like toast and I like beans, but beans in a tomato sauce is not right!’
Out of those who voted for kebabs, over half (54%) admitted to having one at least once a week and – wait for it – one in six (17%) have one every single day.
Yet, if those statistics have you worried for the survey respondents’ health, there are actually nutritional benefits to the kebab, which has, for a long time, had a bad rap.
On the Turkish kebab, which has admittedly become a part of British culture too, nutritionist and author Rob Hobson said: ‘They can be a lot healthier than you think and can be seen as a “good’ takeaway”, you just have to make the right choices.
He added: ‘To start with, it’s eastern Mediterranean food, which essentially is healthy – lots of grains, it should be lean cuts of meat, it’s lots of vegetables, that kind of thing.’
However, he was careful to point out the problem with kebabs bought from fast-food chains on the High Street: ‘Often the meats are very high in fat and that can increase your cholesterol levels, which isn’t good for your heart.
‘They tend to contain a lot of salt because of the spices they use, the sauces, the marinade etc., which is bad for your blood pressure. And then add in a side of chips and the pitta and that’s a lot of calories.’
The English favourite, beans on toast, came second in the competition
But kebab devotees needn’t despair. Hobson explained that ‘it’s so easy to pick the healthier option.’
He advises those craving a kebab to go for a chicken shish, which is cubes of chicken on the grill, rather than the doner meat. You can also add a wholemeal flat bread or wrap so you’ve got a bit more fibre.
When it comes to the runner up, beans on toast, Hobson believes it is so popular because, as the ultimate English comfort food, it reminds us of ‘being young and kind of that cosiness and that familiarity of when we were younger.’
When it comes to the nutritional content, he explained: ‘And even though it’s like an ultra processed food, I would say it was like a healthier ultra processed food.
‘I don’t really see baked beans as being particularly unhealthy. They contain loads of fibre which is lacking in many people’s diets and fibres linked to reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer.
‘The only downside is they might contain a lot of salt and you could opt for the lower salt sugar brands if you wanted or you could just make the meal healthier by choosing whole grain toast, watching the amount of butter that you put on your bread that that kind of thing.’
Hobson advised beans on toast buffs to refrain from adding cheese to the dish every time as ‘you’ll be increasing the saturated fat intake and overall calories.’
Instead, he encouraged those looking to add something extra to try more tomatoes or chilli powder.
The survey was part of Amazon’s Chatterbox series and was launched to complement Amazon’s Euro Food Cup videos – which kicked off on Friday with host nation Germany and its currywurst facing Scotland’s haggis.
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