Kebabs

Kebab (, ; ar, كباب, link=no, Latn, ar, kabāb, ; tr, kebap, link=no, ) or kabob (North American) is a type of cooked meat dish that originates from cuisines of the Middle East. Many variants of the category are popular around the world, including the skewered ''shish kebab'' and the '' doner kebab'' with bread.

Kebabs consist of cut up or ground meat, sometimes with vegetables and various other accompaniments according to the specific recipe. Although kebabs are typically cooked on a skewer over a fire, some kebab dishes are oven-baked in a pan, or prepared as a stew such as ''tas kebab''. The traditional meat for kebabs is most often lamb meat, but regional recipes may include beef, goat, chicken, fish, or even pork (depending on whether or not there are specific religious prohibitions).

History

In Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq's 10th-century Baghdadi cookbook ( ar, كتاب الطبيخ), a compendium of much of the legacy of Mesopotamian, Persian, and Arab cuisine, there are descriptions of as cut-up meat, either fried in a pan or grilled over a fire.

However, while the word ''kebab'' or ''shish kebab'' may sometimes be used in English as a culinary term that refers to any type of small chunks of meat cooked on a skewer, ''kebab'' is mainly associated with a diversity of meat dishes that originated in the medieval kitchens of Persia and Anatolia. Though the word has ancient origins, it was popularized in the West by Turks to refer to this range of grilled and broiled meat, which may be cooked on skewers, but also as stews, meatballs, and other forms. This cuisine has spread around the world, in parallel with Muslim influence. According to Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan traveller, kebab was served in the royal houses during the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 CE), and even commoners would enjoy it for breakfast with naan. Kebab dishes have been adopted and integrated with local cooking styles and innovations, from the now-ubiquitous doner kebab fast food, to the many variations of shish kebab, such as the satays of Southeast Asia.

The word likely came to English in the late 17th century from the Arabic , partly through Hindustani, Persian and Turkish. According to linguist Sevan Nişanyan, the Turkish word is also derived from the Arabic word , meaning roasted meat. It appears in Turkish texts as early as the 14th century, in (the story of Joseph), though still in the Arabic form. Nişanyan states that the word has the equivalent meaning of 'frying, burning' with in the old Akkadian language, and in Aramaic. In contrast, food historian Gil Marks says that the medieval Arabic and Turkish terms were adopted from the Persian ''kabab'', which probably derived from the Aramaic.

The American Heritage Dictionary also gives a probable East Semitic root origin with the meaning of 'burn', 'char', or 'roast', from the Aramaic and Akkadian. The Babylonian Talmud instructs that Temple offerings not be (burned). These words point to an origin in the prehistoric Proto-Afroasiatic language: ''*kab-'', to burn or roast.

Varieties by region

In most English-speaking countries, a ''kebab'' may be the classic shish kebab or souvlaki – small cubes of meat cooked on a skewer – or, in North America where it is better known as gyros where as outside North America fast-food is known as doner kebab. By contrast, in Indian English, Bangladeshi English, Pakistani English
and in the languages of the Middle East, other parts of Asia, and the Muslim world, a ''kebab'' is any of a wide variety of grilled meat dishes. Some dishes ultimately derived from Middle Eastern kebab may have different names in their local languages, such as the Chinese '' chuan''.

East Asia

China

Chuan (), often referred to as "chuan" throughout the north, or kawap (كاۋاپ) in Uyghur, is a variation of kebab originating from the Uyghur people in the western province of Xinjiang and a popular dish in Chinese Islamic cuisine. The dish has since spread across the rest of the country and become a popular street food.

Although the most traditional form of chuan uses lamb or mutton, other types of meat, such as chicken, beef, pork, and seafood, may be used as well. Small pieces of meat are skewered and either roasted or deep-fried. Common spices and condiments include cumin