 | |
| Alternative names | Acılı kıyma kebabı |
|---|---|
| Course | Main dish, with salad (onion, leaves and spice) |
| Place of origin | Turkey |
| Region or state | Adana-Mersin[1] |
| Created by | Unknown |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Hand-minced lamb and tail fat |
Adana kebap (Turkish:Adana kebabı) orAdana kebab is a dish that consists of long, hand-minced meat, mounted on a wide iron skewer and grilled on an openmangal filled with burningcharcoal. The kebab is named afterAdana, the fifth-largest city ofTurkey, and was originally known as thekıyma kebabı (lit: minced meatkebab) orkıyma in Adana-Mersin and the southeastern provinces of Turkey.[1]
Kebabs are usually made out of ground lamb meat and tail fat, though there are many regional variations. Kebabs are fairly common in the area fromMersin in Turkey toKirkuk in Iraq, and includesAleppo in Syria.[1]
According to many authors, this kebab was born out of a fusion ofTurkish andArab cultures.Birecik, once an important locality in theEyalet of Aleppo, is said to be the creator of this very kind of kebab.[1] The version prepared and consumed today in the province of Adana also has a history rooted in the modern Turkish culture, only to receive a "Controlled Designation of Origin" in February 2005, after subsequent legal trials.[2][3]
According to the Patent Registrar, an originalAdana kebabı is made only by a vendor who has successfully passed an inspection conducted on the spot by theAdana Chamber of Commerce.[4]
Thekıyma kebabı is still prepared in its historical location. Similar dishes are prepared in neighboring zones ofTurkey,Syria andIraq, where the meat is hand-ground with the addition of tail fat and occasionally a non-spicy capsicum.[1][note 1]
New variants of the kıyma kebabı, not protected under the same patents, have been enjoyed since the 1950s,[1] in communities in the former Ottoman Empire territories, includingIstanbul,Baghdad, andDamascus. These versions are adapted to the local tastes and cannot be considered the original kıyma kebabı:
According to the Designation of Origin, Adana kebabı is made from the meat of a malelamb that is younger than one year of age. The animal has to be grown in its natural environment and fed with the local flora.[5]
The meat should then be cleansed of itssilverskin, nerves and internal fat. After the cleansing, it should be cut into rough chunks and, along with tail fat at a proportion of one to five, rested for a day.[5]
The next day, the rested meat and fat must be ground by hand, using a crescent-shaped iron cleaver known as thezırh. Only sweet red peppers (also hand-chopped with thezırh) and salt should be added. The Designation of Origin also authorizes, "under certain circumstances", the addition of spicy green capsicum and fresh garlic cloves.[5]
The meat is then thoroughly kneaded together with the fat, the salt and the additional ingredients until reaching a homogenous consistency.[5]
After reaching homogeneity, the mixture is placed on iron skewers that are 0.5 cm thick, 3 cm wide and anywhere from 90 to 120 cm long. One portion ofAdana kebabı is typically 180 grams of meat on one skewer. A "portion-and-half", impaled on slightly wider skewers can not include less than 270 grams, as per the designation label.[5]
A little water allows the minced meat to adhere better to the skewer, which is the hardest step in the making of this kebab. If not done properly by anUsta,[6] the meat will separate from the skewer during roasting.[5] The Turkish word "Usta" derives from the Persian "Ostad" (أستاد) originally meaning "Master" but also now a common honorific to show deference to someone's expertise.[1]
The impaled skewers are roasted over flame-less coals of oak wood. When the meat turns dark brown, it is ready. The skewers are frequently turned during this process. The melting fat is collected on flatbread by pressing pieces of flatbread against the meat as it roasts; this also serves to heat the bread.[5]
The kebab is commonly served on a plate, as aPorsiyon, or wrapped in flatbread, as aDürüm.
The kebab is served over the flatbread used to catch the drippings. It is accompanied by roasted tomatoes, green or red peppers and julienned onions with parsley and sumac. Other typicalmezes in Adana-Mersin served with the kebab include red pepperezme with pomegranate molasses, freshmint andtarragon leaves, braisedshallot hearts with olive oil and pomegranate molasses, pickled small green chili peppers, and, aroundMersin, greenshallot stems with slices ofbitter orange,citron,lime andlemon. Many restaurants aroundAdana will also bring hothummus with butter topped withpastırma on the side.[5]
The way to eatporsiyon is to skin and crush the charred tomatoes and peppers into a paste, to put them in a piece of flatbread with part of the kebab, topped by a generous pinch of the onion-sumac-parsley mixture, and to wrap the whole thing into a few small thickdürüms.
Ayran andsalgam are two staple beverages consumed with kebab in daytime. On hot summer evenings, ice-coldrakı alongside salgam is often preferred.
The browned kebab is taken out of themangal, removed from the skewer and placed on top of a large loaf of flatbread (mostlylavaş ortırnak pidesi), topped by a pinch of julienned onions, small diced tomatoes, some parsley, then sprinkled with a little salt,cumin andsumac and finally wrapped into a long roll.Ayran is more commonly consumed with dürüm compared to theŞalgam.
Many variations of thekıyma kebabı, all based on hand-chopped lamb meat and tail fat, are found around the Cilician and Mesopotamian parts of the formerOttoman Empire.[1]
Some notable regional examples are:
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Adana kebab, has been celebrated as a festival inAdana since 2010.Adana Kebab and Şalgam Festival, emerged from a hundred-year tradition of enjoying kebab, with liver,şalgam andrakı. The event turned into a nationwide popular street festival, street musicians playing drums andzurna, entertain visitors all night long at the second Saturday night of every December.[7]
