Kebab facts for kids
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Jūjeh kabāb, roast chicken kebab in Iran, with vegetable skewers
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| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Middle East |
| Region or state | South Asia, Central Asia, the Balkans, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, North Africa |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Meat |
Kebabs are tasty meat dishes that first came from the Middle East. Many different kinds of kebabs are popular all over Asia and around the world.
In many English-speaking countries, when people say "kebab," they often mean a shish kebab or shashlik. This is meat cooked on a stick. Outside of North America, "kebab" might also mean the popular fast-food doner kebab.
However, in places like India and the Middle East, "kebab" means many different kinds of grilled meat dishes. Some kebab-like dishes have different names in their local languages, like chuanr in China.
Even though kebabs are often cooked on a skewer (a long stick), many types are not. Kebab dishes can be made with cut-up or ground meat, or even seafood. Sometimes they include fruits and vegetables. They can be cooked over a fire on a skewer, like a hamburger on a grill, baked in an oven, or even made as a stew. Kebabs are served with different side dishes depending on the recipe.
The traditional meat for kebabs is often lamb or mutton. But different places use beef, goat, chicken, or fish. Sometimes, pork is used, but not by Muslims due to religious reasons.
There are many kinds of kebabs, and the word means different things in different countries. The general word "kebab" usually means doner kebab in Europe. In the United States, it often means shish kebab.
Contents
Types of Kebab
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There are many exciting types of kebabs to try! Here are some of the most well-known:
Shish Kebab
Shish kebabs are pieces of meat cooked on skewers. They are grilled over hot coals or wood. These kebabs first came from Iran and Afghanistan. From there, they became popular in Turkey, Pakistan, India, and parts of Arabia. Today, shish kebabs are also very popular in Europe and the United States.
Döner Kebab
Döner kebab means "rotating kebab" in Turkish. It is made from slices of lamb, beef, or chicken. The meat is slowly roasted on a tall, spinning spit. Thin slices are cut off as it cooks.
Chappali Kebab
Chappali kebab is a type of fried kebab. It started in the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in Pakistan and in Afghanistan. It's often shaped like a flat patty.
History of Kebabs
People have been cooking meat over fire for a very long time. In the Middle East, there is proof that humans used fire for cooking as far back as 790,000 years ago! Ancient cooking fires and burnt animal bones have been found from at least 250,000 years ago.
The specific kebab dishes we know today started in the kitchens of Persia (modern-day Iran) and Turkey during the Middle Ages. They were usually made with smaller pieces or slices of meat, or ground meat. This meat was often cooked on skewers over a fire. This way of cooking was very practical in cities. Small cuts of meat were easy to get from butchers. Also, fuel for cooking was not always easy to find. In Europe, there were many forests, so farmers could roast large pieces of meat whole.
Kebabs were even served in royal palaces during the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 CE) in India. Even regular people would eat kebabs for breakfast with naan bread.
Images for kids
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Chuan-style lamb kebab sticks sold by a street vendor
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Kabab chenjeh in Khorramabad
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Iranian Kabab Koobideh (Bonab style)
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Traditional Iraqi Kebab, made out of ground lamb and known for its oily texture
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Beyti kebab served with pilav
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Şiş kebap with "şehriyeli pilav" (orzo pilaf), onions with sumac, a grilled pepper, a slice of tomato (also grilled) and rucula leaves
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Slicing döner kebab off a rotating vertical spit
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Chopan kebab being prepared in Afghanistan
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A kebab shop in Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Pakistani-style seekh kebabs
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Grilled chicken satay served with peanut sauce in Jakarta
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Rullakebab, a roll wrapped kebab in Lappeenranta, Finland
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Shish kebab on a plate
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A German-style Döner
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See also
In Spanish: Kebab para niños
