A Canadian donair sandwich costume sells for $20,000 at auction

A costume of a tinfoil-wrapped donair sandwich (like a kebab) has been sold for a whopping C$16,000 (NZ$20,000) in an online auction by the Canadian provincial government of Alberta.

The costume, which is 142cm in length, was eventually won by an Alberta donair chain after a heated bidding war with rival restaurants across the country, reports the BBC.

Being true to the much-loved street food, the costume contains donair sauce topped tomatoes, onion, and meat that’s wrapped inside pita bread.

The outfit is completed with a silver-coloured bodysuit to offer the “authentic tinfoil look”. It also includes a highly controversial ingredient amongst donair fans: lettuce.

According to the Canadian food writer Lindsay Wickstrom, a donair is derived from the Greek gyro and Turkish döner kebab.

Created in the 1970s by the Greek immigrant Peter Gamoulakos in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canadian version comes with a sweet twist.

It has spiced ground beef that is covered in a sauce of evaporated or condensed milk, vinegar, and sugar.

The dish was named the official food of Halifax in the year 2015 due to its “iconic and unique” nature.