kabob

Imagine pieces of seasoned meat, and sometimes vegetables, cooked over fire until they are browned and full of flavor. Often they are put on a skewer and grilled, though the word can also refer to related dishes made in other ways. "Kabob" is a common spelling of "kebab," and the dish is especially linked with Middle Eastern, Turkish, Mediterranean, and South Asian cooking. You might eat a shish kabob with rice and salad, or a doner kebab served in bread.

The word comes from Persian and refers to roasted meat. Today, it can describe several similar dishes that share the idea of well-seasoned food cooked over heat.

A kabob, also spelled kebab, is a dish of meat, or meat and vegetables, cooked over fire or other high heat. In many common versions, the pieces are threaded onto a skewer and grilled or roasted. However, the word is also used more broadly for related dishes in which the meat is cooked without a skewer, such as doner kebab. The idea behind the word is roasted or grilled, well-seasoned food, most often meat.

The term is broad, and there are many regional styles. Shish kabob usually means cubes of meat, often lamb, beef, or chicken, grilled on a skewer. Doner kebab, well known in Turkish cuisine, is cooked on a vertical rotisserie and sliced thin for serving in bread or on a plate. Adana kebab is a spicy minced meat version from Turkey. Vegetarian versions also exist, with vegetables such as peppers, onions, zucchini, and tomatoes grilled in the same style.

Part of what makes this food special is the seasoning. Many versions use a marinade with ingredients like yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and spices. This helps soften the meat and gives it a deep, rich taste.

So whether you're enjoying a lamb shish kabob in Istanbul, a chicken tikka kebab in India, or a vegetable skewer at a backyard barbecue, you're meeting a food tradition that has traveled across countries and generations. The exact form changes from place to place, but the central idea stays much the same: seasoned food cooked with care over strong heat.