Kebab, kebob, kabob…
According to tradition, the dish was invented by medieval soldiers who used their swords to grill meat over open-field fires. Kebab, also spelled kebob or kabob, dish of Middle Eastern or Central Asian origin that typically combines small pieces of meat such as lamb or beef with vegetables on a skewer and is then grilled.
Kebabs were first mentioned in texts from the 9th century AD, and they were likely invented even earlier. The dish is thought to have originated in the Persian Empire, where it was popular street food. The word “kebab” is thought to derive from the Persian word “kabab”, which means “to fry” or “to roast”.
Another story goes that kabāb can be traced back to a Mesopotamian word meaning cut-up pieces of pan-fried or flame-grilled meat.
And also that Naser al-Din Shah Qajar was the founder of kebabs in Iran. He ordered the preparation of the kebab to imitate a Caucasian dish and with a few modifications, and after that, this usual Iranian kebab has become the original food of the Iranians.
Anyway, it’s a great dish.
We drove from Ramsar by the Caspian Lake to Tehran. The road was narrow, winding, with views into the abyss. We stopped at the pass at a roadside eatery. The first impression when looking at the “restaurant” was not very promising. The cleanliness wasn’t exactly exciting either. But there wasn’t much choice in those mountains.
The kebab was the most promising. If nothing else, it’s grilled and the potential bacteria are probably cooked off. Well, I have to admit that I didn’t have any indigestion during the entire trip. Fear has big eyes…
And the kebab was excellent, albeit with a non-alcoholic beer.
And not just kebabs, all Iranian food is absolutely amazing. And most of the food that originates from the Middle East is basically Iranian. And it came to Europe through the Turks, Serbs and Bosnians. Mostly …