24 Sep Culinary History: The Origin of Kebab
Kebab, whose name literally means “grilled meat” in Persian, has an origin as ancient as it is debated. Although today we quickly associate it with popular dürüm or döner served in pita bread with sauce and salad, its story is much richer and more complex.
Its most primitive form is the shish kebab, which consists of meat skewered on a stick and grilled, often accompanied by vegetables. Sounds familiar, right? Our well-known “pinchos morunos” come from this tradition, inherited from Arab cuisine, whose influence remains strong in Spanish gastronomy.
One popular theory about its modern origin places the kebab in Anatolia during a military conflict. It is said that Turkish soldiers, lacking utensils, used their swords as skewers to cook meat over the fire. Bread served as both plate and cutlery, creating a simple, practical, and tasty meal.
However, similar preparations have also been found in Ancient Greece, where metal supports were already used to roast meat. So it’s likely that the kebab, as we know it today, is the result of multiple cultural influences that have come together over the centuries.
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