Cherry kebab
Cherry Kebab (Arabic: كباب كرز) is a special kind of kebab, which is made with minced lamb and cherry. The name in Arabic is Kebab B’il Karaz. Additional names and varieties include kebab garaz (Jewish),[1] cherry kabab, kabab bil karaz, cherry meatballs, kebab con cerezas (Mexican),[2] and fishnah kabab (Armenian).[3]
Place of occurrence
Cherry kebab is a specialty dish from Aleppo, the second largest city in Syria with heritage and history.[4] Damascus cuisine belongs to the Levantine cuisine (also known as the Eastern Mediterranean) which includes more regions like Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and part of southern Turkey.[5] So, cherry kebab is also found in those regions.
Specificity
Cherry kebab is a stew-like preparation.[1] The specific of this dish is that the true version of cherry kebab requires the use of St. Lucie cherries.[6] St. Lucie cherry (Prunus cerasus) is a small (8–10mm long), ovoid, bitter, crimson-colored cherry, smaller than its sweet counterpart. It comes in several varieties, including Aleppo, Montmorency, and Morello.[7][8] Because it is sweet and sour at the same time, it perfectly blends with the richness of the lamb. Cherries give a beautiful bright purplish magenta color for this dish.
References
- ^ a b Dweck, Poopa. Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews. New York: Ecco Pr, 2007. Print.
- ^ "Kebab con cerezas / Kebab garaz | Enlace JudĂo MĂŠxico | El sitio de expresiĂłn judĂa". Enlacejudio.com. 2012-07-09. Archived from the original on 2019-08-22. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
- ^ "Mayrig: Where authentic Armenian flavors meet family recipes | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more". Arabnews.com. 2012-05-30. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
- ^ "BBC News - Profile: Damascus, Syria's second city". Bbc.com. 2014-04-28. Archived from the original on 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
- ^ The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome, Volume 1, p247, "Levant"
- ^ "Kebab bil Karaz". Sugar Street Review. 2012-02-27. Archived from the original on 2014-05-04. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
- ^ Kime, Tom. Street Food: Exploring the World’s Most Authentic Tastes. New York: DK Publishing, 2007. Print.
- ^ "St Lucie cherries | Natural History Museum". Nhm.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2014-05-04. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
