InLevantine cuisine, kibbeh is made by pounding bulgur wheat together with meat into a fine paste and forming it into ovoid shapes, with toasted pine nuts and spices. It may also be layered and cooked on a tray,deep-fried, grilled, orserved raw.[7] The Syrian city of Aleppo can lay claim to at least 17 types of kibbeh.[8] InMesopotamian cuisine, versions with rice orfarina are found.[9]
Look upkibbeh orكبة in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
The modern wordkibbeh (كبة) is derived from the Arabic root k-b-b (ك-ب-ب).[13][14][15]
The use ofkubbeh to designate stuffed food may have also been derived from theAkkadian languagekubbu.[15] The wordkubbeh itself appeared in ancient Biblical texts, meaning "tent" or "tarp". Later on the word took on a new meaning inAramaic askababa, which means "a covering".[16]
The 10th century cookbook byIbn Sayyar al-Warraq referred to meatballs askubab (singularkubba).[15]
History
As noted by food historianNawal Nasrallah, the earliest mention of modern kibbeh, made with a filled shell of ground meat and grains, is in the 18th century workTaj al-'Arus min Jawahir al-Qamus. The text describes it as a disk of ground meat and rice flour made by the people of "al-Sham" (the Levant).[15]
AmericanMethodist missionaryWilliam McClure Thomson noted in his memoirs during his 1847 visit to Lebanon that kibbeh, then made by crushing wheat in mortar and pestle, was very popular.[17] He described it as "the national dish of the Arabs", despite its association with the Levant.[18][17] Swedish OrientalistJacob Berggren [sv] described 8 types of kibbeh in his 1844 dictionary, and also mentioned a proverb about its social importance: "[...], without our koubbé, we would all have died".[19]
The 1885 Beirut cookbookUstadh al-Tabbakhin by authorKhalil Khattar Sarkis [ar] provided 15 kibbeh recipes, including recipes forkibbeh labaniyyeh,kiyyeh bil siniyyeh,kibbeh mashwiyyeh, among others.[17] TheComparative Encyclopedia of Aleppo by Syrian authorKhayr al-Din al-Asadi (completed in 1971, published posthumously in 1981) described 58 different kinds ofkibbeh.[20]
Variations
Levant
Kibbeh nayyeh
Kibbeh nayyeh is a raw dish made from a mixture of bulgur, very finely minced lamb or beef similar tosteak tartare, and Levantine spices, served on a platter, frequently as part of ameze inLebanon andSyria, garnished with mint leaves and olive oil, and served with green onions or scallions, green hot peppers, andpita ormarkouk bread.[3] Becausekibbeh nayyeh is raw, it requires high-quality meat to prepare and has been seen as a traditional way to honor guests.[4]
Levantinekibbeh labaniyeh
Kibbeh labaniyeh (Arabic:كبة لبنية) is a variant of kibbeh cooked in a yoghurt sauce and served over rice. It is popular in Lebanon and Syria.[21][22]kibbeh mishwiyyeh (Arabic:كبة مشوية) is kibbeh that is grilled rather than fried.[23][17]
Kibbeh bil siniyeh (Levantine Arabic:كبة بالصينية) is a variation of kibbeh in which the meat stuffing is sandwiched between two layers of kibbeh dough and then baked; it is popular in Lebanon and Syria.[24][25][26]
Kibbeh bil siniyeh (baked kibbeh in a tray)
Lebanon
In Lebanon, meatless versions of kibbeh exist, and are sometimes called "poor man's kibbe". The stuffing is made with onions, walnuts, and wheat.[27][28][24][26]Kibbet samak, made using fish, is popular among Sunni Muslims inNorth Lebanon.[6]
Potatokibbeh is a variation of kibbeh in which potato is mixed with the bulgur. It is often assembled in three layers: a potato layer, followed by the meat filling, then another potato layer on top. AuthorClaudia Roden describes it as an "orientalshepherd's pie."[29][24] It is especially popular in Lebanon.[30]
Syria
The city ofAleppo, Syria, is known for its many varieties ofkibbe.[31] These includekibbeh prepared withsumac (kibbe sumāqiyye),[32]yogurt (kibbe labaniyye),quince (kibbe safarjaliyye),[33] lemon juice (kibbe ḥāmḍa),[24]pomegranate sauce (kibbehrummaniyeh),[34]cherry sauce, and other varieties, such as "disk"kibbeh (kibbe arāṣ), "plate"kibbeh (kibbe biṣfīḥa orkibbe bṣēniyye) and rawkibbeh (kibbeh nayyeh).[citation needed][35]Kibbeh sajiyeh (Arabic:كبة صاجية) is kibbeh shaped into a thin disk with a meat filling that is traditionally dipped in a yogurt sauce.[25][36]
A Syrian soup known askubbikishk consists ofkubbi ("torpedoes" or "footballs") in a yogurt (kishk) and butter broth with stewed cabbage leaves. Another soup, known askibbeh hamda, consists of chicken stock with vegetables (usually leeks, celery, turnips and courgettes), lemon juice and garlic, with smallkibbeh made with ground rice as dumplings.[34][37] In theSyrian Jewish diaspora this dish is popular both forPesach and as the pre-fast meal on the day beforeYom Kippur.[38]
Kubba Mosul from Iraq is flat and round like a disc, named after the city ofMosul.[4]Kubba Halab is an Iraqi version of kibbeh created with a rice and potato crust and named after the largest city in Syria, Aleppo.[39][40]Kubbat shorba is anIraqi andKurdish version prepared as a stew, commonly made with turnips and chard in a tomato-based stew. It is often served witharak and various salads.[41]
AmongKurdish Jews, there is a kubba soup flavored with aromatic thyme leaves during winter.[42]
Malatya içli köftesi is a bulgur meatball that is boiled rather than fried.[47][48]
Polat içli köftesi is a boiled bulgur meatball with beef and onion filling.[49][50]
Egypt
In Egypt,kibbeh is referred to askobeba (Egyptian Arabic:كبيبة).[51] Seafood variations of kobeba exist, such as shrimp kobeba, popular inPort Said.[52][53]
Latin America
Brazil
Friedquibe (Brazil)
Brazilianquibe is sometimes stuffed withCatupiry or another variety ofrequeijão, a sauce resembling ricotta and cream cheese. Most Brazilianquibe uses only ground beef, but other variations use tahini,carne de soja (texturized soy protein),seitan (Japanesewheat gluten-based meat substitute) ortofu (soybean curd) as stuffing.[54]
In theBrazilian state ofAcre, a variation ofquibe calledquibe de arroz (rice kibbeh) is made with a rice flour breading. It was created byArab immigrants to Brazil who had no access to wheat in the remote Amazon region of Brazil.[55]
Colombia
On Colombia's Caribbean coast, most local variations of the dish use ground beef instead of lamb, but the original recipe, or one with a mixture of beef and lamb, can be found served by the large Lebanese and Syrian population of the area.[56] The dish has acquired almost vernacular presence and is frequently served in social occasions at both Arab and non-Arab households. When served as an adopted local dish, it is offered often as a starter along with other regional specialties, includingempanadas,deditos andcarimañolas.[57]
Dominican Republic
The Dominican version was brought to the Dominican Republic by Lebanese immigrants.[58]
Mexico
Some regionalSyrian andLebanese dishes combinekibbeh with elements taken from Latin American cuisine; for example, it is typical ofSyrian Mexicans to eat traditional kibbeh withsalsa verde.[59]
Culture
Kibbeh is considered by many to be a difficult dish to prepare, and as such, the quality of kibbeh is considered to be a benchmark for the skill of a cook in Iraq and the Levant.[3][15][60]
^Edelstein, Sari (2010).Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality, and Nutrition Professionals. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. p. 594.ISBN9781449618117.
^"Chapter 8 - Sidon - William M. Thomson (#103253) - Bible Truth Library".www.bibletruthpublishers.com. Retrieved8 December 2025.He is braying wheat with a pestle in a mortar, to make kibby, the national dish of the Arabs, and a very good one it is. Every family has one or more of these large stone mortars, and you may hear the sound of the "braying" at all hours as you walk the streets of the city.
^"Polat İçli Köftesi Tescil Edildi" [Polat Stuffed Meatballs Registered as a Patent.].malatyagazetecilercemiyeti (in Turkish). 19 January 2023. Retrieved13 December 2025.
