Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; ar, كبة, kibba; tr, içli köfte) is a family of dishes based on spiced ground meat, onions, and grain, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. In

Levantine cuisine Levantine cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Levant. Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Levantine cuisine is ''meze'' including '' tabbouleh'', ''hummus'' and ''baba ghanoush''. Levantine dishes * Arabic coffee (قهوة عر ...

, kibbeh is usually made by pounding

bulgur wheat Bulgur (from tr, bulgur, itself from fa, بلغور, bolġur (bolghur)/balġur (balghur), groats ), also riffoth (from biblical he, ריפות, riffoth) and burghul (from ar, برغل, burġul ), is a cracked wheat dish found ...

together with meat into a fine paste and forming it into balls with toasted pine nuts and spices. It may also be layered and cooked on a tray,

deep-fried Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly oil, as opposed to the shallow oil used in conventional frying done in a frying pan. Norma ...

, grilled, or served raw. In

Mesopotamian cuisine Iraqi cuisine (Arabic: المطبخ العراقي Kurdish: خواردنی عێراقی) or Mesopotamian cuisine is a Middle Eastern cuisine that has its origins from Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians and the other groups of the regi ...

, versions with rice or farina are found. Some recipes add

semolina Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat mainly used in making couscous, and sweet puddings. The term semolina is also used to designate coarse millings of other varieties of wheat, and sometimes other grains (such as rice or corn) as well. Ety ...

. Kibbeh is considered to be a national dish of

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

and Syria, and is a popular dish in the

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...

. Versions are found in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Iran, the Persian Gulf, Armenia, and Turkey, and among Assyrian people. It is also found throughout

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

n countries that received substantial numbers of immigrants from the

during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as parts of North America.

Etymology

The words ''kibbeh'' and ''kubba'' come from the Arabic verb , meaning "to form into a ball," and is thus cognate with " kebab".

Variations

Near East

, a variety of dishes made with bulgur (cracked wheat) and minced lamb are called ''kibbeh''. Aleppo is famous for having more than 17 different types. These include ''kibbeh'' prepared with

sumac Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Eas ...

(''kibbe sumāqiyye''),

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bac ...

(''kibbe labaniyye''), quince (''kibbe safarjaliyye''), lemon juice (''kibbe ḥāmḍa''),

pomegranate The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between tall. The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean re ...

sauce, cherry sauce, and other varieties, such as the "disk" ''kibbeh'' (''kibbe arāṣ''), the "plate" ''kibbeh'' (''kibbe biṣfīḥa'' or ''kibbe bṣēniyye'') and the raw ''kibbeh'' (''

kibbeh nayyeh Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; ar, كبة, kibba; tr, içli köfte) is a family of dishes based on spiced ground meat, onions, and grain, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. In Levantine cuisine, kibbeh is usually made by pounding ...

'').

Kibbeh nayyeh Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; ar, كبة, kibba; tr, içli köfte) is a family of dishes based on spiced ground meat, onions, and grain, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. In Levantine cuisine, kibbeh is usually made by pounding ...

'' is a raw dish made from a mixture of bulgur, very finely minced lamb or beef similar to

steak tartare Steak tartare or tartar steak is a dish of raw ground (minced) beef. It is usually served with onions, capers, mushrooms, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings, often presented separately, to be added to taste. It is often ser ...

, and Middle Eastern spices, served on a platter, frequently as part of a ''

meze Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levantine cuisine, Levant, Turkish cuisine, Turkey, Greek cuisine, Greece, the Balkan cuisine, Balkans, the Caucasian cuisine, Caucasus and Iranian cuisine, Iran. It i ...

'' in

and Syria, garnished with mint leaves and olive oil, and served with green onions or scallions, green hot peppers, and pita/pocket bread or ''

markouk Markook bread ( ar, خبز مرقوق, khubz marqūq), also known as ''khubz ruqaq'' ( ar, رقاق), ''shrak'' ( ar, شراك), ''khubz rqeeq'' ( ar, رقيق), ''mashrooh'' ( ar, مشروح), and saj bread ( ar, خبز صاج), is a kind of Mid ...

'' bread. Because ''

'' is raw, it requires high-quality meat to prepare and has been seen as a traditional way to honor guests. ''Kubba Mosul'' from Iraq is flat and round like a disc. ''Kubba halab'' is an Iraqi version of kibbeh created with a rice crust and named after the largest city in Syria, Aleppo. ''Kubbat Shorba'' is an Iraqi and

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish languages *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern Kurdistan **Eastern Kurdistan **Northern Kurdistan **Western Kurdistan See also * Kurd (dis ...

version prepared as a stew, commonly made with turnips and chard in a tomato-based stew. It is often served with ''arak'' and various salads. A Syrian soup known as ''kubbi kishk'' consists of ''kubbi'' "torpedoes" or "footballs" in a yogurt (''kishk'') and butter broth with stewed cabbage leaves. Another soup, known as ''kibbeh hamda'', consists of chicken stock with vegetables (usually leeks, celery, turnips and courgettes), lemon juice and garlic, with small ''kibbeh'' made with ground rice as dumplings. In the

Syrian Jewish Syrian Jews ( he, יהודי סוריה ''Yehudey Surya'', ar, الْيَهُود السُّورِيُّون ''al-Yahūd as-Sūriyyūn'', colloquially called SYs in the United States) are Jews who lived in the region of the modern state of Syri ...

diaspora this is popular both at

Pesach Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or ...

and as the pre-fast meal on the day before

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...

South America

On Colombia's Caribbean coast, the most local variations of the dish use ground beef instead of lamb, but the original recipe, or one with mixture of beef and lamb, can be found served by the large Middle Eastern population of the zone. The dish has acquired almost vernacular presence and is frequently served in social occasions at both Arab and non-Arab households. When served as an adopted local dish, it is offered often as a starter along with other regional delicacies, including

empanada An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spanish, other Southern European, Latin American, and Iberian-influenced cultures around the world. The name comes from the Spanish (to bread, i.e., ...

s, deditos and

carimañola A carimañola is a South American meat-pie in a torpedo-shaped yuca fritter, stuffed with cheese, seasoned ground meat or shredded chicken and fried. It is found in Colombia and Panama. They can be accompanied by suero. Description Fresh cassa ...

s. Brazilian , is sometimes stuffed with ''

catupiry Catupiry () is one of the most popular brands of cheese in Brazil. It was developed by Italian immigrant Mario Silvestrini in the state of Minas Gerais in 1911. The name derives from the Tupi word meaning "excellent". Catupiry is a soft, mild ...

'' or ''

requeijão Requeijão () is a milk-derived product, produced in Portugal and Brazil. It is a loose, ricotta-like cheese used to make cheese spreads. It can be a good substitute to mild, unsalty ricotta. This variety is sometimes sold in the markets wrapped ...

'', a sauce resembling ricotta and cream cheese of

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

origin. Most Brazilian ''kibbeh'' uses only ground beef, and not other types of meat. Other variations include tahini, ( texturized soy protein), (Japanese wheat gluten-based meat substitute) or

tofu Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super f ...

(soybean curd) as stuffing. Some regional

Jewish cuisine Jewish cuisine refers to the worldwide cooking traditions of the Jewish people. During its evolution over the course of many centuries, it has been shaped by Jewish dietary laws (''kashrut''), Jewish festivals and holidays, and traditions ce ...

s combine ''kibbeh'' with elements taken from Latin American cuisine, for example, it is typical of Syrian Jews in Mexico to eat the traditional kibbeh with

salsa verde Salsa verde () is a type of spicy, green sauce in Mexican cuisine based on tomatillo and green chili peppers. The tomatillo-based Mexican ''salsa verde'' dates to the Aztec Empire, as documented by the Spanish physician Francisco Hernández, ...

References

{{Cuisine of Turkey Appetizers Arab cuisine Armenian cuisine Assyrian cuisine Cypriot cuisine Egyptian cuisine Iranian cuisine Iraqi cuisine Israeli cuisine Jordanian cuisine Kurdish cuisine Lebanese cuisine Levantine cuisine Palestinian cuisine Syrian cuisine Stuffed dishes National dishes Street food Deep fried foods Semolina dishes Meat dishes Bulgur dishes Colombian cuisine Turkish cuisine Brazilian cuisine Mizrahi Jewish cuisine Wheat dishes Fried foods Middle Eastern cuisine ku:Kutilk