Lindsay Wickstrom’s Book of Donair: Everything You Wanted to Know about the Halifax Food That Became Canada’s Favourite Kebab is a spirited, affectionate deep‑dive into the messy, saucy, late‑night legend that is the Halifax donair. From the opening pages, it authoritatively maps out the dish’s unlikely journey—from 1830s Ottoman doner cousins to its 1970s reinvention in Bedford by Greek‑Canadian restaurateur Peter Gamoulakos (founder of King of Donair). Wickstrom traces the origins of the famously sweet, garlic‑infused condensed‑milk sauce and the shift from lamb to spiced ground beef, giving the donair its uniquely Nova Scotian profile.
While difficult to replicate a classic at home, you can enjoy a close second-best with a Meatloaf Donair in our Recipe section. Substitute the ground beef for lamb for true authenticity. Top with sliced sweet onions and chopped tomatoes.
What’s unique about this book is its playful tone—what Wickstrom calls her own “do‑narrative”. The prose skips along with the enthusiasm of a blogger on a sugar high: bursting with pop culture anecdotes, fan‑submitted donair stories (“phantom odours,” drunken escapades), and tangents about donair‑inspired doughnuts and sushi burritos. These bits provide real texture, conveying how this late‑night comfort food doubled as an identity symbol for Halifax and Maritime expats across Canada.
Outside of the hype, the book does serious cultural history, crediting Lebanese and Greek families—often overlooked in tourist marketing—for building Halifax’s modern restaurant scene and giving proper homage to the communities behind the donair’s fame. It also confronts critics who feel the donair’s notoriety downplays Maritime seafood traditions. Get your copy of the book at https://www.macintyrepurcell.com/product/book-of-donair-everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-halifax-food-that-became-canadas-favourite-kebab/ or win it in our Giveaway section.
Despite its small footprint—under 200 pages—it offers history, personality, and recipes for die‑hard fans: classic sauce methods, fan‑favorited spin‑offs like donair lasagna, and even donair pizza experiments. While not a glossy photo book (brown meat and white sauce don’t exactly leave you Instagram‑worthy), it delivers a satisfying, readable dish of cultural storytelling. Ideal for anyone looking for culinary authenticity or just loves Canadian street food.
Contents and images used with permission by MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc. https://www.macintyrepurcell.com/product/book-of-donair-everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-halifax-food-that-became-canadas-favourite-kebab/