The 16th century "Domostroi" aimed at affluent households also mentions sausage-making, spit-roasted meats, stews and many other meat dishes.

Sultan II offers spit-roasted meats, cold salads and spreads, but the real specialties are the fresh-baked breads, savory pies and lahmacuns, or Turkish pizzas, which emerge from a brick oven in the rear.

Rotisserie can also refer to a mechanical device used for rotisserie cooking, or to a restaurant specializing in spit-roasted meat.

Where to Eat Della Santina's, 133 East Napa Street, Sonoma, (707) 935-0576, is a casual, family-owned trattoria that is open for lunch and dinner daily and serves homemade pastas and spit-roasted meats.

A rodizio is a Brazilian rotisserie restaurant where waiters parade through the dining room with an array of spit-roasted meats on gigantic skewers.

The spit-roasted meat, especially lamb or duck, is unusually juicy and served with delicious mlinci (baked noodles).

It specialises in delicious spit-roasted meat: three courses £23.

In order to learn how things were done in the time of Henry VIII, Meltonville's team recreates not only period dishes like spinach-and-date fritters and spit-roasted meat but also all of the utensils used to prepare them.

Far more prominent nowadays is its fast-food cousin - pita bread wrapped around spit-roasted meat, salad and yoghurt sauce.

E Map This classic Florentine rosticceria (shop serving roast meat and other cooked items) serves spit-roasted meats and other prepared dishes, such as lentil stew, roasted eggplant and sautéd spinach, all packed neatly for take-away.