Adana Kebab
Encyclopedia
Adana kebabı is a long, hand-minced meat
kebab
mounted on a wide iron skewer and grilled on an open mangal
over braizing charcoal
s. It is named for Adana
, the fifth largest city of Turkey
, in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean region. It was originally known as Kıyma kebabı (lit: minced meat kebab
) or Kıyma in Adana-Mersin
and the southeastern provinces of Turkey.
in Turkey to Kirkuk
in Iraq, including in its center Aleppo
in Syria. According to many authors, this very kind of kebab is born, around the Ottoman Eyalet of Aleppo itself (that included Adana
until 1864), out of a fusion of Turkish and Arab cultures, as the strip stretching from Mersin to Kirkuk is the exact places where in history Arabs and Turks have been living together. Birecik
, being once an important locality in the Eyalet of Aleppo is said to be the creator of this very kind of kebab. The version today prepared and consumed in the province of Adana has also a quite rooted history in the modern Turkish Culture, only to receive a Controlled Designation of Origin
in February 2005, after subsequent legal trials.
Other than that, in its historical geography, the Kıyma kebabı is still widely consumed, and prepared in similar fashion in the immediate neighbouring zones of Turkey
, Syria
and Iraq
, where the meat is ground by hand with the sole addition of tail fat and eventually non-spicy capsicum. Please refer to the "Variations" section of the same article for a more extensive list of the original Pan-Aleppan variants.
, Baghdad
, and Damascus
. These versions are often in a way bastardized to the local tastes and economy, do not share much with the original recipe and convey popular misconceptions, such as:
, younger than one year of age before being slaughtered. According to the same Label, the animal has to be grown in its natural environment, to be fed with the local flora, as it is mostly the case in Turkey.
The meat, has then to be cleansed of its silverskin
, nerves and internal fat, to be cut into rough shanks, and, along with tail fat at a proportion of one to five, be laid to rest for a day.
The next day, the rested meat and fat have imperatively to be ground by hand, using a crescent-shaped iron cleaver known as the "Zırh". To this composition, only salt and sweet red peppers (also hand chopped with the Zırh) are to be added. The Designation of Origin also authorizes, "under certain circumstances", the addition of spicy green capsicum and fresh garlic cloves.
The meat has to be then thoroughly kneaded together with the fat, the salt and the eventual additional ingredients for a few minutes until reaching homogenous consistency.
A little water has to be used during the impaling session to make the minced meat hold of the skewer. This is actually the hardest step in the making of this very kebab. If not done properly by an Usta, the meat will separate from the skewer during the roast, and fall on the blazing charcoal.
wood. The readiness indicator is the color of the meat turning dark brown from red. The skewers are frequently to be turned during this process. The melting fat is not to be dripped on the embers, but to be collected on flatbread by pressing the latter on the skewers during the cooking process, also heating it up for later.
The kebab is served, always over the flatbread that took the dripping fat on, that can be either lightly leavened, or not. It has to be accompanied in its immediate vicinity by charred tomatoes, green or red peppers and julienned onions parsley with sumac. Other typical meze
s in Adana-Mersin that will be always served with the kebab will include red pepper ezme with pomegranate molasses, fresh mint
and estragon
leaves, braised shallot
hearts with olive oil and pomegranate molasses, pickled small green chili peppers, and, mostly around Mersin
, green shallot
stems with slices of bitter orange
, citron
, lime
and lemon
. Many restaurants around Adana
will also bring sizzling hummus
with butter topped with pastırma
on the side.
The way to eat the "Porsiyon" is to skin and crush the charred tomatoes and peppers into a paste, to put them in a cut of the flatbread together with a part of the kebab, topped by a generous pinch of the onion-sumac-parsley mixture, and to wrap the whole thing into a few small and thick dürüm
s.
Ayran
and Şalgam are two of the staple beverages with the consumed together kebab in daytime. In the hot summer evenings, ice-cold Rakı
alongside Şalgam is often preferred.
and pulled off the skewer on top of a large loaf of flatbread (mostly lavaş
or tırnak pidesi
), to be topped by a pinch of julienned onions, small diced tomatoes, some parsley, then to be sprinkled by a little salt, cumin
and sumac
and finally wrapped into a long roll. As a note, Ayran
is more commonly consumed alongside the dürüm compared to the Şalgam.
.
Some notable among those, organized by regions, are:
Ground meat
Ground meat is meat finely chopped by a meat grinder or a chopping knife. It is called minced meat or more usually mince outside North America....
kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
mounted on a wide iron skewer and grilled on an open mangal
Mangal
Mangal is the name for Turkish barbecue. In a more social context, it resembles braai of South Africa.Mangal is popular in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and countries in the Levant...
over braizing charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
s. It is named for Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
, the fifth largest city of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean region. It was originally known as Kıyma kebabı (lit: minced meat kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
) or Kıyma in Adana-Mersin
Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area
Adana-Mersin metropolitan area lies in the core area of Çukurova and with a population of 3 million, it is one of Turkey's major business and cultural centres. The metropolitan area stretches over 100 km from east to west and 25 km from north to south and includes the cities of Mersin, Tarsus,...
and the southeastern provinces of Turkey.
History
Kebabs made out of ground lamb meat and tail fat, along with many regional variations are fairly common in a strip of land stretching from MersinMersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
in Turkey to Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
in Iraq, including in its center Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
in Syria. According to many authors, this very kind of kebab is born, around the Ottoman Eyalet of Aleppo itself (that included Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
until 1864), out of a fusion of Turkish and Arab cultures, as the strip stretching from Mersin to Kirkuk is the exact places where in history Arabs and Turks have been living together. Birecik
Birecik
Birecik , also formerly known as Bir and during the Crusades as Bile, is a town and district of Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey, on the River Euphrates....
, being once an important locality in the Eyalet of Aleppo is said to be the creator of this very kind of kebab. The version today prepared and consumed in the province of Adana has also a quite rooted history in the modern Turkish Culture, only to receive a Controlled Designation of Origin
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
in February 2005, after subsequent legal trials.
Original geography
According to the Patent Registrar, an original Adana kebabı can only be enjoyed if the culinary institution would successfully pass an inspection conducted on the spot by the Adana Chamber of Commerce. A substantive list of these establishments can be found here.Other than that, in its historical geography, the Kıyma kebabı is still widely consumed, and prepared in similar fashion in the immediate neighbouring zones of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, where the meat is ground by hand with the sole addition of tail fat and eventually non-spicy capsicum. Please refer to the "Variations" section of the same article for a more extensive list of the original Pan-Aleppan variants.
Recent geography and misconceptions
Although not being protected under the same patents nor sharing the same history, many variations of the Kıyma kebabı are enjoyed in a relatively newer fashion, only since the 1950s, over some major Metropolises of the former Ottoman Empire, including IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, and Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. These versions are often in a way bastardized to the local tastes and economy, do not share much with the original recipe and convey popular misconceptions, such as:
- In IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, or in any Turkish Metropolis outside of the former Vilayets of Adana and AleppoVilayet of AleppoThe Vilayet of Aleppo was a vilayet or province of the Ottoman Empire centered around Aleppo.-History:Thanks to its strategic geographic location on the trade route between Anatolia and the east, Aleppo rose to high prominence in the Ottoman era, at one point being second only to Constantinople in...
, a Kıyma kebabı is either an "Adana kebabı" (the spicy variant) or an Urfa kebabı (the non-spicy one). Truth is that the original Adana kebabı is not spicy at all, and Urfa kebabı does not even exist, even in Urfa, where the local variation of the Kıyma kebabı is called Haşhaş kebabı and has slightly different contents (see variations). The versions consumed in metropolises outside of the Adana Province also mostly do not include the compulsory basics for the Adana kebabı, as, with the exception of Adana, only 109 institutions were identified by the ACC all over Turkey .
- In DamascusDamascusDamascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, a kind of non-spicy Kıyma kebabı named "كباب حلبى" (Aleppo kebab) is served with a thick tomato sauce and rice. This kind of serving is greatly unknown in AleppoAleppoAleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, where the Kıyma kebabı is called "كباب خشخاش" (Haşhaş kebabı - see variations) and served with flatbread, onions, parsley and sumac, just like in Turkey.
Mincing and kneading
According to the Designation of Origin, Adana kebabı is made from the meat of a male lambLamb (food)
Lamb, mutton, and hogget are the meat of domestic sheep. The meat of a sheep in its first year is lamb; that of a juvenile sheep older than 1 year is hogget; and the meat of an adult sheep is mutton....
, younger than one year of age before being slaughtered. According to the same Label, the animal has to be grown in its natural environment, to be fed with the local flora, as it is mostly the case in Turkey.
The meat, has then to be cleansed of its silverskin
Connective tissue
"Connective tissue" is a fibrous tissue. It is one of the four traditional classes of tissues . Connective Tissue is found throughout the body.In fact the whole framework of the skeleton and the different specialized connective tissues from the crown of the head to the toes determine the form of...
, nerves and internal fat, to be cut into rough shanks, and, along with tail fat at a proportion of one to five, be laid to rest for a day.
The next day, the rested meat and fat have imperatively to be ground by hand, using a crescent-shaped iron cleaver known as the "Zırh". To this composition, only salt and sweet red peppers (also hand chopped with the Zırh) are to be added. The Designation of Origin also authorizes, "under certain circumstances", the addition of spicy green capsicum and fresh garlic cloves.
The meat has to be then thoroughly kneaded together with the fat, the salt and the eventual additional ingredients for a few minutes until reaching homogenous consistency.
Impaling
After reaching homogeneity, the mixture is then mounted on special pure iron skewers that are 0.5 cm thick, 3 cm wide and anywhere from 90 to 120 cm long. This stage is called the "impaling". One portion of Adana kebabı will typically include 180 grams of meat on one skewer. A "portion-and-half", impaled on slightly wider skewers can not include less than 270 grams, as per the designation label.A little water has to be used during the impaling session to make the minced meat hold of the skewer. This is actually the hardest step in the making of this very kebab. If not done properly by an Usta, the meat will separate from the skewer during the roast, and fall on the blazing charcoal.
Cooking
The impaled skewers, are to be roasted on fireless, regular charcoal embers exclusively from oakOak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
wood. The readiness indicator is the color of the meat turning dark brown from red. The skewers are frequently to be turned during this process. The melting fat is not to be dripped on the embers, but to be collected on flatbread by pressing the latter on the skewers during the cooking process, also heating it up for later.
Serving and eating
The kebab is commonly served on a plate, as a "Porsiyon", or wrapped in flatbread, as a "Dürüm".Porsiyon
Meze
Meze or mezze is a selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean and Middle East as dinner or lunch, with or without drinks. In Levantine cuisines and in the Caucasus region, meze is served at the beginning of all large-scale meals....
s in Adana-Mersin that will be always served with the kebab will include red pepper ezme with pomegranate molasses, fresh mint
Mentha
Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...
and estragon
Estragon
Estragon is one of the two main characters from Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. His name is the French word for tarragon.- The impulsive misanthrope :...
leaves, braised shallot
Shallot
The shallot is the botanical variety of Allium cepa to which the multiplier onion also belongs. It was formerly classified as the species A. ascalonicum, a name now considered a synonym of the correct name...
hearts with olive oil and pomegranate molasses, pickled small green chili peppers, and, mostly around Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, green shallot
Shallot
The shallot is the botanical variety of Allium cepa to which the multiplier onion also belongs. It was formerly classified as the species A. ascalonicum, a name now considered a synonym of the correct name...
stems with slices of bitter orange
Bitter orange
The name "bitter orange", also known as Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, and marmalade orange, refers to a citrus tree and its fruit. Many varieties of bitter orange are used for their essential oil, which is used in perfume and as a flavoring...
, citron
Citron
Not to be confused with Cintron.The citron is a fragrant citrus fruit, botanically classified as Citrus medica by both the Swingle and Tanaka systems...
, lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
and lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
. Many restaurants around Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
will also bring sizzling hummus
Hummus
Hummus is high in iron and vitamin C and also has significant amounts of folate and vitamin B6. The chickpeas make it a good source of protein and dietary fiber; the tahini consists mostly of sesame seeds, which are an excellent source of the amino acid methionine, complementing the proteins in the...
with butter topped with pastırma
Pastirma
Pastirma or bastirma is a highly seasoned, air-dried cured beef in the cuisines of the former Ottoman countries.-Etymology:The name bastirma is from . bastırma is the gerund of the verb bastırmak , which means "to depress, restrain"...
on the side.
The way to eat the "Porsiyon" is to skin and crush the charred tomatoes and peppers into a paste, to put them in a cut of the flatbread together with a part of the kebab, topped by a generous pinch of the onion-sumac-parsley mixture, and to wrap the whole thing into a few small and thick dürüm
Durum
Durum wheat or macaroni wheat is the only tetraploid species of wheat of commercial importance that is widely cultivated today...
s.
Ayran
Ayran
Ayran or laban is a cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt; it is popular in many Central Asian, Middle Eastern and South-eastern European countries....
and Şalgam are two of the staple beverages with the consumed together kebab in daytime. In the hot summer evenings, ice-cold Rakı
Raki (alcoholic beverage)
Raki is a Turkish unsweetened, anise-flavored hard alcoholic drink that is popular in Turkey, Greece, Serbia, and other Balkan countries as an apéritif. It is often served with seafood or meze...
alongside Şalgam is often preferred.
Dürüm
The browned chunk of kebab is taken out of the mangalMangal
Mangal is the name for Turkish barbecue. In a more social context, it resembles braai of South Africa.Mangal is popular in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and countries in the Levant...
and pulled off the skewer on top of a large loaf of flatbread (mostly lavaş
Lavash
Lavash is a soft, thin flatbread popular in several countries of the northern parts of the Middle-East and the southern parts of the Caucasus.Traditionally the dough is rolled out flat and slapped against the hot walls of a clay oven....
or tırnak pidesi
Pide
Pide may refer to:*Pita, a type of flatbread typical of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines*PIDE , the political secret police during the authoritarian Portuguese regime of the Estado Novo*Pakistan Institute...
), to be topped by a pinch of julienned onions, small diced tomatoes, some parsley, then to be sprinkled by a little salt, cumin
Cumin
Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.-Etymology:...
and sumac
Sumac
Sumac is any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, especially in Africa and North America....
and finally wrapped into a long roll. As a note, Ayran
Ayran
Ayran or laban is a cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt; it is popular in many Central Asian, Middle Eastern and South-eastern European countries....
is more commonly consumed alongside the dürüm compared to the Şalgam.
Variations
Many variations of the Kıyma kebabı, all coming from the same hand-chopped lamb meat and tail fat base, are to be found around the Cilician and Mesopotamian parts of the former Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Some notable among those, organized by regions, are:
Adana-Mersin
- Metrelik kebap: A recent specialty that saw the light thanks to some of most famous Usta (ref.) of AdanaAdanaAdana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
. That variety is nothing but a very long and thick Kıyma kebabı, than can reach anywhere from 1 up to 10 meters in total, depending on the number of guests on the table. The required huge iron skewers are also very heavy (some weigh up to 15 kilograms) and specially crafted.
- Beytî: A take on the famous Beyti of Istanbul. Parsley and fresh garlic cloves are chopped alongside the meat and the fat instead of any sort of capsicum, giving it a typical taste.
- Kebab Tarsûsî: More common in the eponymous city of TarsusTarsusTarsus may refer to:*Tarsus , a cluster of articulating bones in each foot** Tarsometatarsus, a fusion of the tarsus and metatarsus mainly found in birds...
than anywhere else, this Kıyma kebabı includes only minced onion along the meat and the fat.
Greater Aleppo
- Haşhaş kebabı or كباب خشخاش: Very famous in NizipNizipNizip is a district of Gaziantep Province of southeastern Turkey.As of 2010, the population of the city is 96,229. It is located 45 km from the city of Gaziantep, 95 km from Şanlıurfa , and 35 km from Karkamış, which is an old city also known historically as Gilgamesh. It is quite...
, Urfa, BirecikBirecikBirecik , also formerly known as Bir and during the Crusades as Bile, is a town and district of Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey, on the River Euphrates....
and AleppoAleppoAleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, this is a very simple form of Kıyma kebabı, that can at times contain a hint of caul fatCaul fatCaul fat is the thin membrane which surrounds the stomach internal organs of some animals, such as hogs, cows, sheep, and pigs, also known as the greater omentum. It is often used as a natural sausage casing and to encase fegatelli , faggots , or pâté . Caul fat is also known as Lace...
and crushed walnuts, making it crispier.
- Simit kebabı or كبّة مشويّة: Literally mass consumed in the Antep-KilisKilisKilis is a city in south-central Turkey on the border with Syria and capital of Kilis Province.- History and Population :Kilis was part of the vilayet of Aleppo of the Ottoman Empire until the First World War when it was given to Turkey and had a mixed population of Circassians, Turkomans and Arabs...
-HalepAleppoAleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
line, this distant cousin of the Kıyma kebabı includes, per kilo of meat, one glassful of soaked bulgurBulgurBulgur is a cereal food made from several different wheat species, most often from durum wheat. In the United States it is most often made from white wheat. Its use is most common in Middle Eastern cuisine, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Armenia and Bulgaria...
, a few shallots, 30 grams of pine nutPine nutPine nuts are the edible seeds of pines . About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food....
s and only 100 grams of tail fat. Different spices such as dried mint flakes, paprikaPaprikaPaprika is a spice made from the grinding of dried fruits of Capsicum annuum . In many European languages, the word paprika refers to bell peppers themselves. The seasoning is used in many cuisines to add color and flavor to dishes. Paprika can range from mild to hot...
powder, sumacSumacSumac is any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, especially in Africa and North America....
and cuminCuminCumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.-Etymology:...
will also be added to the mixture to taste.
- Fıstıklı kebap: A speciality of Antep that has around 150 grams of coarsely ground pistachio kernels per kilo of meat and fat.
- Sebzeli kebap: Another specialty of Antep where red and green peppers as well as onions and parsley are hand-chopped together alongside the meat and the fat.
Iraq
- Süleymâniye Kebabı or كباب سليمانية: An Iraqi variety, that differs from the classic Adana kebabı in a few ways, notably the fact that no pepper or spice whatsoever is added to the mixture, who is also roasted in a very special mangalMangalMangal is the name for Turkish barbecue. In a more social context, it resembles braai of South Africa.Mangal is popular in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and countries in the Levant...
that has a powerful blower mounted on one side, constantly blowing air on the charcoal, much raising their temperature. The result is a quite uncommon but very tasty Kıyma kebabı that has a kind of glazed and crispy outer crust.