After living in Turkey for a summer I realized that really Turks are the barbecue kings. In the summertime everyone loves to cook on the grill -- on the balcony, on the beach, at the park or alongside the road -- hey, anything goes.Turkish cuisine offers variations of Turkish shish kebabs -- meat grilled on a skewer. Many of these variations are found in many cultures. Oriental cultures have a form of kebab, called “satay” and European cultures have their adaptations: it is written that Christopher Columbus was fond of Portuguese espetadas, a beef shish kebab marinated in wine and roasted on an open fire. In Turkey the meat is usually marinated with olive oil or in milk.
Turkey is famous for its kebabs. The Turkish words “shish kebab” mean “skewer” and “roast meat.” Kebabs were very popular among the nomadic tribes of Anatolia. The small cubes of meat threaded on the skewer are usually lamb, beef, chicken or fish. Different vegetables such as bell pepper, eggplant, mushroom, onion and tomato may also be cooked on the skewer.
A newcomer to Turkey can be overwhelmed with the kebab menu, especially if it is not translated into your native tongue. It may come in handy to have a list of the most common kebabs so you can order with ease. Although this list is not exhaustive, it may help make your choice simpler:
* Adana kebab: Kebab meat with chili, associated with the Adana region although very popular all over Turkey.
* Beyti kebabı: Minced lamb roasted with a special spice mix and a touch of garlic, traced back to the famous kebab house of Beyti in İstanbul and particularly popular in Turkey’s larger cities.
* Çöp kebabı “small skewer kebab”: A specialty of Selçuk near Ephesus, pounded boneless meat with tomatoes and garlic marinated with black pepper, thyme and oil on wooden skewers.
* Köfte kebab or Shish köfte: Minced lamb meatballs with herbs, often including parsley and mint, on a stick, grilled.
* Kuzu şiş: Shish prepared with marinated milk-fed lamb meat.
* Orman kebabı “forest kebab”: Lamb meat on the bone and cut in large pieces mixed with carrots, potatoes and peas.
* Patates kebabı “potato kebab”: Beef or chicken mixed with potatoes, onions, tomato sauce and bay leaves.
* Patlıcan kebabı “eggplant kebab”: Special kebab meat marinated in spices and served with eggplant, warm pita bread and a yoghurt sauce.
* Şiş kebabı “shish kebab”: prepared with fish, lamb or chicken meat on thin metal or reed rods, grilled.
* Urfa kebabı: From Urfa, similar to Adana kebab, but not spicy.
* Tas kebabı “bowl kebab”: Stewed kebabs in a bowl; preparation begins with the cooking of the vegetables in butter in a method called yağa vurmak, “butter-infused,” before the meat itself is cooked in the same place.
* Tavuk şiş: Shish prepared with marinated chicken.
Whether you are in your backyard in Texas or on the patio somewhere else in the world, for many of us, summertime means cookouts. We all know a barbecue is more than just about cooking: It’s about connection, family, smoke, joy, love, ants and the sacrament of the shared meal.
Cookouts are great. Is it a surprise that we love open fire cooking -- the smoke and those grills? Maybe it’s because we find we are sitting around for a while with friends and family and just enjoying the day and whatever comes.
Note: Keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
