Binging In The Past

Kebab : Tangible Divinity

Kebabs. I don’t know how I should begin this article only cause kebabs are so dear to me. I LOVE kebabs, be it any kind. No kind of discrimination as to what kebab it is, all kebabs are a heaven send. Kebabs have a pretty colorful history as well, which I intend to get into with immense gratitude, for it is the history that bought this delicious preparation.

So a kind of proto-kebab (which was basically just meat roasted on fire) was made by Stone Age humans around 250,000 years ago. But actually kebabs, with spices and condiments was made around 17th century BC (about 3,500 years ago) and archaeologists have found skewers from back then. Kebabs throughout the ages have been made out of meats of almost every domestic animal that exists. Lamb, chicken, mutton, beef, you name it.
The Kebab as we know it was first served in medieval Turkey and Persia. The word ‘Kebab’ in its antiquity comes from Semitic roots which translate into “burn” or “roast”. (If you have’t eaten kebabs, I’m judging you right now.)

Fun Fact : There are also stories of soldiers having used swords as skewers to make kebabs on during wars!

Now in India, we have some killer varieties of kebabs, especially after the Mughals came in. But did you know that there’s mentions of what seem like kebabs in the Mahabharata as well? India has some pretty weird kebabs, and I’m quite sure you guys haven’t heard of this stuff (except for the last one.)

1 ) Rajpooti Soolah - Game meat-wild boar, deer & partridge barbecue kebabs made with a special "Kachari" (wild melon) sauce by Rajputs in Rajasthan.

2 ) Soovar ki Santh - Pork belly kebabs from Rajasthan

3 ) Any kebab made from Paneer. That’s just plain weird.

Countries all over the world enjoy kebabs. For example, the Africans enjoy ‘Suya’ a type of spicy kebab, while the Armenians mix together meat, pepper and parsley to make the delicious ‘shish’ and the Greeks welcomed ‘Gyros’ and ‘Souvlaki’ in the wake of the second World War. While in India, Chicken Tikka has become a sort of celebrity, with it’s high international acclaims!

If you’re in Mumbai and this article makes you wanna east Kebabs right now, go to Ayub’s or Bademiya for a delicious, mind bending treat!