Turkish Kebabs
While kebabs may be something we recognise as an end-of-the-night snack, the history and varieties of the humble dish go far beyond a lamb sandwich with extra garlic sauce at 3am.
From the classic skewered shish kebab, to a mixture of meat and rice served in a broken clay pot, the iterations of the kebab are endless, changing over time and geographical location, with a whole host of Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultures boasting their own versions. Turkey, however, has always been one of the biggest melting pots of kebab innovation, and the Turkish style has spread all over the entire world, giving us the dishes we know — and crave — today. Now’s the time to look past your late night wrap, and discover the different kebabs to try — you’ll also want to consider pairing these with a few refreshing brews, trust us.
Turkish Kebabs
Fun facts about
Invented the vertical grill in the 1800s, changing the way kebabs were prepared forever. There’s also a regional kebab named after him.
Where kebabs are one of the most popular street foods due to a large Turkish population.
Stands for ‘sos, sogan, kasar’ or sauce, onion, cheese — the only thing a kebab needs.
A tangy turnip juice kebabs are traditionally served with in Adana, Turkey’s fifth largest city.
A BITE-SIZED HISTORY OF TURKISH KEBABS
The word kebab comes to English from Persian via the Turkish word for ‘fry’. It’s thought the practice of grilling meat on a skewer comes from soldiers skewering meat on their swords in the field. It’s a nice story, but the practice of cooking meat in that way has been around since the human discovery of fire.
Turkish styles of kebab use grilled meat, either chopped or minced, cooked slowly and usually served with bread or grains. While the skewered ‘bab has remained popular throughout its history, tightly stacking slices of meat on a larger, rotating skewer, and cooking them on the vertical mangal (grill) has given rise to the modern Turkish doner kebab — the most popular in the western world. As Turkish kebabs have spread around the world and taken on bold, new flavours, they’ve also heavily influenced other cuisines and dishes, like the Greek gyro.
THE MANY VARIETIES OF TURKISH KEBABS
The Turkish kebab has changed like nobody’s business in the past few hundred years, so the question of “what’s traditional” is a hard one to answer. Each region does the kebab differently by telling various stories, serving it their own way, and claiming to have the best. There’s only one way to find out who is right.
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TOMBIK
As close to a burger as a kebab gets. Sliced doner meat is put in a pita bun, and served like a sandwich. -
TESTI
This kebab is cooked in a clay pot with onions, carrots and other vegetables. The clay pot is cracked open at the table, although this bit of theatre is more for the tourists — it’s not really a traditional dish. -
SSK
Coming straight out of Ankara, the SSK has only the basics: doner meat, cheese, onion and sauce, served wrapped up in lavash bread. -
SHISH KEBAB
Shish kebab broadly refers to kebabs cooked on a skewer. In Turkey, meat is never cooked on the skewer with vegetables, though, these can be done separately. -
PILAVUSTU
Not all kebabs come with bread, like the pilavustu, which sees grilled doner meat served with sauce on a bed of pilau rice. -
PATLICANLI
This dish throws some grilled eggplant into the mix, alongside some finely chopped and seasoned grilled meat. It’s usually eaten with raw onion and yufka flatbread. -
ISKENDER
Hailing from northwestern Turkey, this kebab is named for the inventor of the vertical grill. Shaved doner meat is basted in tomato sauce and served with sheep’s butter and yoghurt. -
EKMEK ARASI
This particular specialty takes doner meat stuffed into a big ol’ hunk of Turkish bread, with things like pickled peppers, tomato, onion and other delicious goodies added. -
BEYTI
Served wrapped up in lavash, the Beyti was created in the sixties. Ground meat gets grilled on a skewer, and topped with tomato sauce and yoghurt. -
ADANA
As well as a Turkish city, the Adana kebab takes hand minced meat, cooked on a long, wide skewer, grilled over charcoal, and served with pita bread.
EATING ETIQUETTE
With the different styles and varieties of kebabs all being served in different ways, the etiquette of eating them is something that’s a little harder to pin down with general rules. For example, if you’re eating a kebab that’s served in a bun like a burger, the rules that apply to the shish kebab aren’t going to apply here.
The best thing to do is to look how the kebab is served. Got yourself a delicious doner kebab, all wrapped up in toasted lavash bread? That there is a sandwich that needs to be eaten with hands. However, if you find yourself with meat still on a skewer, things get a little more dicey. The rule here seems to be that if it’s a starter dish, tear that juicy meat from the skewer with nothing but your teeth. If it’s the main course, it’s more polite to take your mouthfuls from the skewer with a knife and fork first. It’s also essential to remember your pleases and thank yous, so drop a little “Afiyet olsun” before the meal (“may what you eat bring well being”), and make sure to give your host a “Elinize saglik” when you’re done — it’s a compliment that translates to “bless your hand”.
A PERFECT COMBINATION
Even though the humble kebab is something often enjoyed after a few drinks, the complexity of the flavours in the varying styles of kebabs lend themselves as excellent accompaniments to an adult beverage like beer. The slew of cooking methods and marinades give kebab meats a rich, spiced flavour that pairs with a whole host of beer styles
If you’re chowing down on a kebab with tomato flavours and the bright, almost acidic notes of yoghurt, selecting a crisp lager like XXXX GOLD is a good option. Lagers tend to rely less on punchy fruit flavours, and are instead more understated, allowing the kebab to do all the talking. There’s also something like Little Creatures Pilsner that matches the mouthwatering, savouriness of a kebab without being too heavy. However, spicier kebabs could benefit from buddying up with a pale ale like James Squires One Fifty Lashes to add a more rounded characteristic to each mouthful.
Craving more? Learn about your favourite foods in our Encyclopedia of Eats with even more beer pairings by Beer The Beautiful Truth.
Illustrations: Barry Patenaude.
Images: Kimberley Low.
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