Chislic (or sometimes chislick) is a dish consisting of
skewer
A skewer is a thin metal or wood stick used to hold pieces of food together. The word may sometimes be used as a metonym, to refer to the entire food item served on a skewer, as in "chicken skewers". Skewers are used while grilling or roastin ...
ed cubes of
red meat
In gastronomy, red meat is commonly red when raw and a dark color after it is cooked, in contrast to white meat, which is pale in color before and after cooking. In culinary terms, only flesh from mammals or fowl (not fish) is classified as ...
, usually mutton or lamb, although
game meats such as venison and even beef steak can be used.
Most commonly associated with the state of
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
, chislic was declared the official state "
nosh" of South Dakota in March 2018.
Etymology
The word ''chislic'' is arguably derived from the
Turkic word ''
shashlik
Shashlik, or shashlick (russian: шашлык ''shashlyk''), is a dish of skewered and grilled cubes of meat, similar to or synonymous with shish kebab. It is known traditionally by various other names in Iran, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe and C ...
'' or ''shashlyk'', itself rooted in ''
shish kebab'', the Turkish term for skewered meats.
Chislic may have been introduced into the United States by John Hoellwarth, who immigrated from the
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
to
Hutchinson County, South Dakota, in the 1870s.
The dish may have been introduced to South Dakota by Hoellwarth, but is highly unlikely to have been the introduction to the US. Both Greek and Armenian subjects of the Ottoman Empire came to the US in the 17th,18th and 19th centuries, and even Martin the Armenian, a tobacco farmer in the original Jamestown colony. They would have brought their common food preparation ideas with them.
Preparation
Chislic consists of
deep-fried cubes of mutton, lamb, beef or venison prepared rare to medium-rare, sprinkled with
garlic salt or other
seasoned salt, and served with toothpicks. The dish is typically served hot, accompanied by
soda crackers.
Regional variations exist: in
Pierre
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
, the meat is
battered; in
Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up t ...
, it is lightly dusted with flour before deep-frying and may be served with
hot sauce
Hot sauce is a type of condiment, seasoning, or salsa made from chili peppers and other ingredients. Many commercial varieties of mass-produced hot sauce exist.
History
Humans have used chili peppers and other hot spices for thousands of years ...
;
near
Watertown Watertown may refer to:
Places in China
In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways.
Places in the United States
*Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town
**Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...
,
ranch dressing
Ranch dressing is an American salad dressing usually made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, herbs (commonly chives, parsley and dill), and spices (commonly pepper, paprika and ground mustard seed) mixed into a sauce based on ma ...
may be served on the side; while
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Lawry's Seasoned Salt is a seasoned salt widely used in the United States. Before its retail introduction in 1938, it was used exclusively by Lawry's, Lawry's The Prime Rib Restaurant in Beverly Hills, where the seasoning was created. The brand is ...
is preferred near
Redfield.
References
{{Reflist, 30em, refs=
[{{cite web , title=Session 2018, Senate Bill 96 , url=https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislative_Session/Bills/Bill.aspx?Bill=96&Session=2018 , website=South Dakota Legislature: Legislative Research Council , publisher=State of South Dakota , accessdate=4 October 2020]
[{{cite journal , last=Preheim , first=Rich , title=The Chislic Circle , journal=South Dakota Magazine , issue=July/August 2005 , url=http://southdakotamagazine.com/chislic , accessdate=July 2, 2013]
[{{cite book , last1=Mack , first1=Glenn Randall , last2=Surina , first2=Asele , title=Food Culture In Russia And Central Asia , year=2005 , publisher=Greenwood , isbn=0-313-32773-4 , page=83]
[{{cite news , first=Paul , last=Suellentrop , newspaper=]The Wichita Eagle
''The Wichita Eagle'' is a daily newspaper published in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and is the largest newspaper in Wichita and the surrounding area.
History
Origins
In 1870, ''The Vidette'' was the fi ...
, location= Wichita, KS , publisher=The McClatchy Company
The McClatchy Company, commonly referred to as simply McClatchy, is an American publishing company incorporated under Delaware's General Corporation Law and based in Sacramento, California. It operates 29 daily newspapers in fourteen states and ...
, title=Play a game and try the chislic, it's basketball time in South Dakota , url=http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article3950971.html , date=November 15, 2014 , accessdate=November 17, 2014
Skewered foods
Cuisine of the Midwestern United States
Food and drink in South Dakota
Deep fried foods
Wild game dishes
South Dakota culture