Kebab

A döner kebab
Origin
Place of origin	Persia and later all Middle East
Details
Course	Main course
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredient(s)	Meat, bread

Sturgeon kebabs being cooked in Turkmenistan

Kebab (or originally kabab^[1]) is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Iran (Persia) and later on adopted in the Middle East, Turkey, South Asia and Asia Minor, that are now found worldwide. In North American English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer.^[2] In the Middle East, however, kebab refers to meat that is cooked over or next to flames; large or small cuts of meat, or even ground meat; it may be served on plates, in sandwiches, or in bowls. The traditional meat for kebab is lamb, but depending on local tastes and taboos, it may now be beef, goat, chicken, pork; fish and seafood; or even vegetarian foods like falafel or tofu. Like other ethnic foods brought by travellers, the kebab has become part of everyday cuisine in many countries around the globe.

History[link]

The origin of kebab may lie in the short supply of cooking fuel in the Near East, which made the cooking of large foods difficult while urban economies made it easy to obtain small cuts of meat at a butcher's shop.^[3] The phrase is essentially Persian in origin and Arabic tradition has it that the dish was invented by medieval Persian soldiers who used their swords to grill meat over open-field fires.^[4] According to Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan traveller, in India, kebab was served in the royal houses during the Delhi Sultanate period(1206-1526 AD), and even commoners would enjoy it for breakfast with naan.^[5] The dish has been native to the Near East^[3] and ancient Greece since antiquity; an early variant of kebab (Ancient Greek: ὀβελίσκος - obeliskos^[6]) is attested in Greece since 8th century BCE (archaic period) in Homer's Iliad^[7] and Odyssey^[4] and in classical Greece, amongst others in the works of Aristophanes,^[8] Xenophon^[9] and Aristotle.^[10] Excavations held in Akrotiri on the Greek island of Santorini by professor Christos G. Doumas, unearthed stone sets of barbecue for skewers (Ancient Greek: κρατευταί - krateutai^[11]) used before the 17th century BCE. In each pair of the supports, the receptions for the spits are found in absolute equivalence, while the line of small openings in the base constitutes mechanism of supplying the coals with oxygen so that they are maintained light up during its use.^[12][13][14]

Variants[link]

Left to right: Chenjeh Kebab, Kebab Koobideh, Jujeh Kebab in an Afghan restaurant.

The kebab term is applied to Azerbaijani, Armenian, Arabic, Turkish, Afghan, Cypriot, Kurdish, Iranian, Iraqi, Central Asian.

Shish[link]

Shish kebab (Armenian: Շիշ Քեբաբ, in which շիշ is the Armenian word for "skewer,"^[15]) is a dish consisting of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled. Any kind of meat may be used; cubes of fruit or vegetables are often threaded on the spit as well. Typical vegetables include tomato, bell pepper, onions, and mushrooms.

In North American English, the word "kebab" usually refers to shish kebab.^[3][16]

Döner[link]

İskender kebap, the original döner kebab invented in Bursa, Turkey.

Slicing döner kebab off a rotating vertical spit.

Döner kebab, literally "rotating kebab" in Turkish, is sliced lamb, beef or chicken, slowly roasted on a vertical rotating spit. The Middle Eastern shawarma, Mexican tacos al pastor and Greek gyros are all derived from the Turkish döner kebab which was invented in Bursa in the 19th century by a cook named Hacı İskender.^[17] Döner kebab is most popularly served in pita bread, as it is best known, with salad, but is also served in a dish with a salad and bread or French fries on the side, or used for Turkish pizzas called pide or "kebabpizza". Take-out döner kebab or shawarma restaurants are common in many parts of Europe. Döner kebab is popular in many European countries, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

In parts of Europe 'kebab' usually refers to döner kebab in pita. Australian Doner Kebabs are usually served in wraps which are toasted before eating.

In Australia and the UK, kebabs (or döner meat and chips) are most popularly eaten after a night out, representing a large part of nightlife culture. As a result, many kebab shops (and vans) will do their main business in the hours around closing time for local pubs and clubs (usually from 10 pm to 4 am). The same applies for Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, Scandinavia and Italy. It is therefore not uncommon to find similar late-night kebab vending shops in holiday-clubbing destinations such as Ibiza and Thailand.

Health concerns about döner kebab, including unacceptable salt and fat levels and improper labeling of meat used, are repeatedly reported in UK media.^[18][19][20] The German-style döner kebab was supposedly invented by a Turkish immigrant in Berlin in the 1970s, and became a popular German take-away food during the 1990s, but is almost exclusively sold by Turks and considered a Turkish specialty in Germany.

Kebab Kenjeh کباب کنجه[link]

Kenjeh is a popular meat dish in the Middle East. It originated in Iran, where it is called 'Chenjeh' and was later adopted in Asia Minor. Kebab Kenjeh is now found worldwide. Lamb is traditionally the meat used in this dish. The ingredients include lamb, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. It is usually served with rice, grilled tomato, and raw onion. There are also local variations in the pronunciation of Kenje Kebab کنجه کباب.

Kebab Halabi[link]

Kebab Hindi from Aleppo

A kind of kebab served with a spicy tomato sauce and Aleppo pepper, very common in Syria and Lebanon, named after the city of Aleppo (Halab). Kebab halabi has around 26 variants^[21] including:

• Kebab karaz for cherry kebab in Arabic - meatballs (lamb) along with cherries and cherry paste, pine nuts, sugar and pomegranate molasses. It is considered one of Aleppo's main dishes especially among Armenians.
• Kebab kashkhash - rolled lamb or beef with chili pepper paste, parsley, garlic and pine nuts.
• Kebab hindi - rolled meat with tomato paste, onion, capsicum and pomegranate molasses.
• Kebab kamayeh - soft meat with truffle pices, onion and various nuts.
• Kebab siniyye for tray kebab in Arabic - lean minced lamb in a tray added with chili pepper, onion and tomato.

Kakori[link]

Kakori kebab is a South Asian kebab attributed to the city of Kakori in Uttar Pradesh, India. There is much folklore about this famous kebab that takes its name from a small hamlet called Kakori on the outskirts of Lucknow.

One such story says that the kakori kebab was created by the Nawab of Kakori, Syed Mohammad Haider Kazmi, who, stung by the remark of a British officer about the coarse texture of the kebabs served at dinner, ordered his rakabdars (gourmet cooks) to evolve a more refined seekh kebab.

After ten days of research, they came up with a kebab so soft and so juicy it won the praise of the very British officer who had scorned the Nawab.

The winning formula his rakabdars came upon included mince obtained from no other part but the raan ki machhli (tendon of the leg of mutton), khoya, white pepper and a mix of powdered spices.^[22]

Chapli[link]

Chapli kebab is a patty made from beef mince,^[23] and is one of the popular barbecue meals in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The word Chapli comes from the Pashto word Chaprikh which means flat. It is prepared flat and round and served with naan. The dish originates from Mardan Mardan is famous for chapli kabab not only locally but also internationally. Umar Kabab at Mardan City, Daood and Farman Kabab from Takht Bai, Mayar Kabab from Mayar and Shankar Kabab are famous around the country in all seasons. In Mansehra, shinkiari and ichrean are very famous for chapal kabab.

Burrah[link]

Burrah kebab is another kebab from Mughlai Cuisine, fairly popular in South Asia. This is usually made of goat meat, liberally marinated with spices and charcoal grilled.

Kalmi[link]

Kalmi Kebab served with onions and cabbage in Delhi, India.

Kalmi kebab a popular snack in Indian cuisine. The dish is made by marinating chicken drumsticks and placing them in a tandoor. Various kinds of freshly ground Indian spices are added to the yogurt used for the marination of the chicken. When prepared, the drumsticks are usually garnished with mint leaves and served with onions and Indian bread.

Galouti[link]

Galouti Kabab as served in Lucknow, India

One of the more delicate kebabs from South Asia, made of minced goat / buffalo meat. Legend has it that the galawati kebab was created for an aging Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow who lost his teeth, but not his passion for meat dishes.

‘Galawati’ means “melt in your mouth” and was perfect for the toothless Nawab who continued savouring this until his last days.

Traditionally, green papaya is used to make it tender. After being mixed with a few select herbs and spices (great chefs rarely reveal what they are exactly), the very finely ground meat is shaped into patties and fried in pure ghee until they are browned.

The original recipe that brought many a smile on the Nawab’s face, albeit toothless, and many a sigh of satisfaction, is supposed to have more than 100 aromatic spices.

The Galouti Kebab is part of the "Awadhi Cuisine". Along with the Lucknowi biryani and Kakori Kebab, this is one of the outstanding highlights of the great food tradition from the Awadh region in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Many leading Indian hotel chains have taken to popularising the Awadhi food tradition, with the Galouti Kebab being a Pièce de résistance.

The home of this kebab is Lucknow. It is most famously had at the almost iconic eatery "Tundey Miyan" at Old Lucknow.

Testi[link]

Testi kebab as served in Goreme, Turkey

A dish from Central Anatolia and the Mid-Western Black Sea region, consisting of a mixture of meat and vegetables cooked in a clay pot or jug over fire(testi means jug in Turkish). The pot is sealed with bread dough or foil and is broken when serving.^[24][25]

Adana[link]

Adana kebabı (or kıyma kebabı) is a long, hand-minced meat kebab mounted on a wide iron skewer and grilled over charcoal.

Chelow[link]

Chelow kebab (Persian: چلوکباب‎) is a national dish of Iran. The meal is simple, consisting of steamed, saffroned basmati or Persian rice (chelow) and kabab, of which there are several distinct Persian varieties. This dish is served everywhere throughout Iran today, but traditionally was most closely associated with the northern part of the country.

It is served with the basic Iranian meal accompaniments, in addition to grilled tomatoes on the side of the rice, and butter on top of the rice. It is an old northern tradition (probably originating in Tehran) that a raw egg yolk should be placed on top of the rice as well, though this is strictly optional, and most restaurants will not serve the rice this way unless it is specifically requested. "Somagh", powdered sumac, is also made available and its use varies based on tastes to a small dash on the rice or a heavy sprinkling on both rice and meat, particularly when used with red (beef/veal/lamb) meat.

In the old bazaar tradition, the rice (which is covered with a tin lid) and accompaniments are served first, immediately followed by the kebabs, which are brought to the table by the waiter, who holds several skewers in his left hand, and a piece of flat bread (typically nan-e lavash) in his right. A skewer is placed directly on the rice and while holding the kebab down on the rice with the bread, the skewer is quickly pulled out. With the two most common kebabs, barg and koobideh, two skewers are always served. In general, bazaar kebab restaurants only serve these two varieties, though there are exceptions.

The traditional beverage of choice to accompany kebab is doogh, a sour yogurt drink with mint and salt.

Kabab Koubideh[link]

Iranian Kabab Koobideh

Kabab koobideh (Persian: کباب کوبیده‎) or kūbide (Persian: کوبیده‎) is an Iranian minced meat kabab which is made from ground lamb, beef, or chicken, often mixed with parsley and chopped onions.

Kabab Koobideh contains: ground meat, onion, salt, pepper, turmeric, and seasoning. These ingredients are mixed together until the mixture becomes smooth and sticky. One egg is added to help the mix stick together. The mixture is then pressed around a skewer. Koobideh Kabab is typically 7–8 inches (18–20 cm) long.

Kabab Barg[link]

Kabāb-e Barg (Persian: کباب برگ‎) is a Persian style barbecued lamb, chicken or beef kebab dish. The main ingredients of Kabab Barg - a short form of this name — are fillets of beef tenderloin, lamb shank or chicken breast, onions and olive oil.

Marinade is prepared by the mixture of half a cup of olive oil, three onions, garlic, half teaspoon saffron, salt and black pepper. One kilogram of lamb is cut into 1 cm thick and 4–5 cm long pieces. It should be marinated overnight in refrigerator, and the container should be covered. The next day, the lamb is threaded on long, thin metal skewers. It is brushed with marinade and is barbecued for 5–10 minutes on each side. Kabab-e Barg

Sultan's Feast[link]

At Persian restaurants, the combination of one Kabab Barg and one Kabab Koobideh is typically called Soltani, meaning 'Sultan's Feast.'

Joujeh Kabab[link]

Juje kabab

Jūje-kabāb (Persian: جوجه‌کباب‎) consists of pieces of chicken first marinated in minced onion and lemon juice with saffron then grilled over a fire. It is sometimes served with grilled tomato and pepper. Jujeh kabab is one of the most popular Persian dishes.

Kabab Bakhtiari[link]

Combination of Jujeh Kabab and Kabab Barg in a decussate form.

National varieties of Kebab[link]

In Afghanistan[link]

The main varieties include kabob e chopan, chapli kabob, teka kabob, shaami kabob, and rudi kabob.

In Azerbaijan[link]

Tika kabab and lyula kabab from mutton, as served in Qəçrəş, Quba Rayon, north-eastern Azerbaijan.

The main varieties include tika kabab, lyula kabab (doyma kabab in some places), tas kababy and tava kabab. The meat for tika kabab is sometimes prepared in basdirma (an onion gravy and thyme) and then goes onto the ramrods. When served, it could be adorned with sauce-like pomegranate addon (narsharab) and other condiments, and may also be served wrapped in Lavash.

In Bulgaria[link]

In Bulgaria, the word кебап (kebap) refers to meat stews with relatively few or no vegetables. Dishes which are known in English as different kinds of "kebab" are not perceived as a distinct group of dishes. The Döner kebab is wide spread as fast food and is called merely дюнер (döner) thus not relating it to the Bulgarian кебап at all. Шиш кебап (Shish kebap) or Шашлик (Shahlik) is also common and has the same name as in Turkish.

In China[link]

Chuan-style lamb kebab sticks sold by a street vendor.

كاۋاپ (Kawap) in Uyghur or Chuanr 串 called "chuàn" in Mandarin, often referred to as "Chua'r" in Pekingese throughout the North, is a variation of kebab originating from the Uyghurs in the Western province of Xinjiang, and a popular dish in Chinese Islamic cuisine.

It has since spread across the rest of the country and become a popular street food.

Small pieces of meat are skewered and either roasted or deep-fried. Common spices and condiments include Chinese style of cumin called "ziran", pepper, sesame, and sesame oil.

Although the most traditional form of chuanr uses lamb or mutton, other types of meat, such as chicken, beef, pork, and seafood, can be used as well.

During Chinese New Year, it is common to find fruit kebabs candied and covered with a hard candy sugar coating. At the famous Wángfǔjǐng in Beijing, it is very common to find many kinds of fruit kebabs of everything from bananas, strawberries, and seasonal Chinese fruits, as well as scorpions, squids, and various Japanese flavored kebabs all year long.

In India[link]

Shami kebab from Lucknow, India

Kebabs in India are more or less similar to most other kebab preparations along with their distinct taste which can be credited to the spices native to the sub-continent. All the varieties such as Sheekh, Doner (known as Shawarma), Shammi Tikka, and other forms of roasted and grilled meats are savoured in this part of the world. Some popular kababs are:

• Kakori Kebab
• Shami Kabab
• Kalmi Kebab
• Kacche gosht ke chapli kabab
• Tunda Kabab (prepared with pumpkin)
• Sambhali Kabab
• Galawati Kebab
• Boti Kebab
• Hara Bhara Kabab
• Kathi Kabab
• Reshmi Kabab
• Lasoni Kabab
• Chicken Malai Kabab
• Tikka Kabab
• Tangdi Kabab (Tangdi meaning leg of the chicken)
• Kaleji Kabab
• Hariali Chicken Kabab
• Bihari Kabab

In Pakistan[link]

Pakistani-style seekh kebabs being grilled on a skewer

Pakistani cuisine is rich with different kebabs. Meat including beef, chicken, lamb and fish is used in kababs. Some popular Kebabs are:

• Seekh Kebab (Urdu: سيخ کباب)
• Shami Kebab (Urdu: شامی کباب)
• Chapli Kebab (Urdu: چپلی کباب)
• Chicken Kebab (Urdu: مرغ کباب)
• Lamb Kebab (Urdu: کبابِ برہ گوشت)
• Bun kebab (Urdu: بن کباب)
• Tikka Kebab (Urdu: تکہ کباب)
• Reshmi Kebab (Urdu: ریشمی کباب)
• Bihari Kebab (Urdu: بهاری کباب)
• Pasinday (Urdu: پسندے)
• Kache Qeema Kebab
• Gola Kebab
• Fry Kebab
• Dhaga Kabab
• Fish Kebab
• Sajji
• Chargha
• Peshawari Kebab
• adraki murg kebab

In Malaysia[link]

Kebabs in Malaysia are generally sold at pasar malam (night markets) and in shopping mall food courts. Normally the meat, after being cut from the spit is pan fried with onions and hot sauce then placed into a pita bread pocket before being filled with condiments such as tomatoes, mayonnaise, onion and lettuce.^{[citation needed]}

Steam kebab[link]

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Steam kebab (Turkish Buğu kebabı) is a Turkish kebab dish which is prepared in an earthenware casserole. The casserole's lid is sealed with dough in order to cook the meat in its own juices. The dish is prepared with pearl onions, garlic, thyme, and other spices. In Tekirdağ, it is served with cumin; in Izmir, it is served with mastic.^[26]

Similar dishes[link]

Europe, Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Eurasia

Kebakko (Finnish) · Brochette (French) · Pinchitos (Spanish Andalusian) · Espetada (Portuguese) · Spiedino (Italian)

Rablóhús (Hungarian) · Ćevapi (Balkan) · Souvlaki (Σουβλάκι - Greek) · Frigărui and Mititei (Romanian) · Mtsvadi (მწვადი - Georgian) · Khorovatz (Armenian) · Shashlik (Russian)

Asia

Kawap (Uyghur) · Chuanr (Chinese) · Satay (Southeast Asian) · Kkochi (Korean) · Kushiyaki and Yakitori (Japanese)

Americas

Donair (Canadian) · City Chicken (Ohio Valley-Upstate New York) · Spiedies (New York State) · Banderilla (México) · Anticuchos (Andean) · Espetinho (Brazilian)