kebab

kebab, dish of Middle Eastern or Central Asian origin that typically combines small pieces of meat such as lamb or beef with vegetables on a skewer and is then grilled.

Kebab derives from a Persian term for the dish that passed into both Arabic (as kabāb) and Turkish (as kebap). Kebabs are thought to have originated among transhumant peoples in Central Asia, whose meat-heavy diet was transformed somewhat in an urban context where vegetables were more readily available.

Kebab meat is typically cut away from the bone into bite-size cubes, although kafta (ground meat and nuts with spices, formed into meatballs) is also popular. The meat is usually marinated in olive oil and lemon juice, with various spices added, ranging from relatively mild ones such as garlic to hot peppers and smoked paprika. Typical vegetables include aubergine (eggplant), tomato, potato, and onion. Meat and vegetables are alternated along the length of a skewer and then placed atop a charcoal brazier and grilled. The use of charcoal is an economical adaptation to the wide shortage of fuelwood in the Middle East, and only rarely are kebabs cooked directly on wood there.

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Dozens of types of kebabs are known, some eaten regionally and some widely known internationally. Perhaps the best-known of the latter is shish kebab, although this term is unrevealing inasmuch as it means simply “skewered meat” (from the Turkish şiş kebap). It has a close cousin in shashlik, eaten in the Caucasus region and Russia. Beef or lamb is the preferred meat in the Middle East, although chicken is also used. Döner kebab, which takes its name from the Turkish words meaning “rotating meat,” is similar to shawarma and gyros: the meat is sliced, stacked, and roasted on a vertical spit and then carved off the spit and served in pita or some other flatbread. The Greek souvlaki is a version of shish kebab that uses only meat, quite similar to the Turkish çöp şiş, “skewered garbage,” a jocular name that refers to the fact that the meat is often scrap left over after other cuts have been taken off. Kebabs are often eaten with yogurt sauce and served with rice.

There is likely no town of any size in the Arabic- and Persian-speaking parts of the world that is without a kebab restaurant or street vendor. Kebabs are popular far outside their native region and are standard features on restaurant menus and at food stalls. In Germany and Scandinavia, with their large Turkish immigrant populations, döner kebab has been a popular fast food for decades, while Maritime Canadians eat a version called “Halifax donair,” whose sauce contains condensed milk and sugar along with more traditional ingredients such as garlic and paprika. Kebabs without meat may be vegetarian or vegan.