Common kebabs

If you're at all familiar with Turkish or Middle-Eastern cuisine, the first thing that probably comes to mind is kebab. And if you're planning to visit Turkey, I'm sure you won't want to leave without a taste—unless of course you're vegan or vegetarian. So let me introduce you to the ins and outs of allergy fee kebabing.

There are about a bazillion different varieties of kebab in Turkey, as just about every region has developed it's own version. Let me start by introducing you to the most popular ones. You will no doubt be able to find most of these in any restaurant you encounter wherever you are in Turkey. However, I will have to leave the local varieties up to you. If you're really interested in trying the local flavor, you may run a higher risk.

Common varieties:

Adana – Named after a city in Southern Turkey, it's made of spicy minced lamb meat, grilled on a skewer. It generally includes sweet red peppers and perhaps some capsicum and garlic. When traveling near Adana it may be found under the name of kıyma kebabı.

Ali Nazik – Ground or cubed meat prepared in a tomato sauce, served over eggplant puree with a side of yogurt.

Beyti – Is a typical Istanbul kebab, also made of minced lamb. The minced meat is seasoned with parsley and fresh garlic. It is almost always wrapped in Dürüm or flat bread, drizzled in tomato sauce and served with yogurt.

Çömlek – Meat and vegetables stewed in an earthenware bowl or casserole known as a güveç.

Çöp Şiş – Marinated sheep, lamb or beef, cut into small pieces and grilled on small, wooden skewers.

Döner – This is the kind of kebab that turns on a spit, and is cooked as it turns by an adjacent source of heat. The meat is sliced off and served between bread or on top of rice.

Hünkar Beğendi – Similar to Ali Nazik, pieces of stewed meat over eggplant puree without the yogurt.

İskender – At fast food joints döner meat is used in this kebab, although the original is higher in quality, lower in fat and served in longer strips. The strips of meat are then drizzled with tomato sauce and sizzling butter, served on top of a layer of flat bread with a scoop of yogurt on the side.

Kağıt – Bits of lamb and mixed vegetables wrapped in parchment paper and oven roasted.

Orman – Chunks of lamb still on the bone, stewed with vegetables such as carrots, peas and potatoes.

Patlıcan – Minced meat, garlic, parsley and other spices formed into meatballs and grilled on a skewer or in the oven between slices of eggplant or aubergine.

Şiş – This is the term for any cubed meat roasted over coals on a skewer. The pieces are larger than çöp as the skewers are larger and metal. Varieties span from chicken or tavuk, lamb or kuzu, sheep or koyun, to beef or dana şiş kebabs.

Simit – Similar to Adana, but minced with bulgur wheat.

Tas- Stewed lamb or beef in a tomato sauce served with potatoes.

Testi – Similar to Çömlek kebabı, this stew is prepared in an earthenware jug. called a testi, which often must be cracked open to serve.

Urfa – Similar to Adana kebabı, but less spicy.

(Yufkalı) Saç – Lamb prepared on an iron metal plate or saç, with onions, tomatoes, green peppers and spices. This version can also be baked and served in yufka or phyllo dough as well.

As you can see, şiş (shish) kebabs are only the beginning: there are hundreds of different varieties of kebab to choose from. To complicate things further, different restaurants and different regions each specialize in their own varieties. Such a complicated subject is going to require a few entries, therefore, please read on to find out how to find the safest kebab for you.