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Kibbeh
Arab and Levantine dish of ground meat and bulgur From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Kibbeh (/ˈkɪbi/, also kubba and other spellings; Arabic: كبة, romanized: kibba; Egyptian Arabic: كبيبة, romanized: kobeba) is a popular dish in the Arab world and the Levant in particular, made of spiced lean ground meat and bulgur wheat. Kibbeh is considered to be a national dish of Lebanon and Syria.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
In Levantine 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, or served raw.[7] The Syrian city of Aleppo can lay claim to at least 17 types of kibbeh.[8] In Mesopotamian cuisine, versions with rice or farina are found.[9]
Outside of Lebanon and Syria,[1] versions are found in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, the Persian Gulf, Armenia, and Turkey,[4] and among Assyrian people.[10] It is also found throughout Latin American countries that received substantial numbers of immigrants from the Levant during the late 19th and early 20th centuries,[11] as well as parts of North America.[12]
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Etymology
The modern word kibbeh (كبة) is derived from the Arabic root k-b-b (ك-ب-ب).[13][14][15]
The use of kubbeh to designate stuffed food may have also been derived from the Akkadian language kubbu.[15] The word kubbeh itself appeared in ancient Biblical texts, meaning "tent" or "tarp". Later on the word took on a new meaning in Aramaic as kababa, which means "a covering".[16]
The 10th century cookbook by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq referred to meatballs as kubab (singular kubba).[15]
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History
As noted by food historian Nawal Nasrallah, the earliest mention of modern kibbeh, made with a filled shell of ground meat and grains, is in the 18th century work Taj 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]
Variations
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Levant
Kibbeh nayyeh is a raw dish made from a mixture of bulgur, very finely minced lamb or beef similar to steak tartare, and Levantine spices, served on a platter, frequently as part of a meze in Lebanon and Syria, garnished with mint leaves and olive oil, and served with green onions or scallions, green hot peppers, and pita/pocket bread or markouk bread.[3] Because kibbeh nayyeh is raw, it requires high-quality meat to prepare and has been seen as a traditional way to honor guests.[4]
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.[17][18]
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.[19][20][21]
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.[22][23][19][21] Kibbet samak, made using fish, is popular among Sunni Muslims in North Lebanon.[6]
Potato kibbeh is a variation of kibbeh where 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. Author Claudia Roden describes it as an "oriental shepherd's pie."[24][19] It is especially popular in Lebanon.[25]
Syria
The city of Aleppo, Syria, is famous for its many varieties of kibbe.[26] These include kibbeh prepared with sumac (kibbe sumāqiyye),[27] yogurt (kibbe labaniyye), quince (kibbe safarjaliyye),[28] lemon juice (kibbe ḥāmḍa),[19] pomegranate sauce (kibbeh rummaniyeh),[29] cherry sauce, and other varieties, such as "disk" kibbeh (kibbe arāṣ), "plate" kibbeh (kibbe biṣfīḥa or kibbe bṣēniyye) and raw kibbeh (kibbeh nayyeh).[citation needed][30] Kibbeh sajiyeh (Arabic: كبة صاجية) is kibbeh shaped into a thin disk with a meat filling that is traditionally dipped in a yogurt sauce.[20][31]
A Syrian soup known as kubbi kishk consists of kubbi ("torpedoes" or "footballs") in a yogurt (kishk) and butter broth with stewed cabbage leaves. Another soup, known as kibbeh hamda, consists of chicken stock with vegetables (usually leeks, celery, turnips and courgettes), lemon juice and garlic, with small kibbeh made with ground rice as dumplings.[29][32] In the Syrian Jewish diaspora this dish is popular both at Pesach and as the pre-fast meal on the day before Yom Kippur.[33]
Iraq
Kubba Mosul from Iraq is flat and round like a disc, named after the city of Mosul.[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.[34][35] Kubbat shorba is an Iraqi and Kurdish version prepared as a stew, commonly made with turnips and chard in a tomato-based stew. It is often served with arak and various salads.[36]
Among Kurdish Jews, there is a kubba soup flavored with aromatic thyme leaves during winter.[37]
Egypt
In Egypt, kibbeh is referred to as kobeba (Egyptian Arabic: كبيبة).[38] Seafood variations of kobeba exist, such as shrimp kobeba, popular in Port Said.[39][40]
Latin America
Brazil
Brazilian quibe is sometimes stuffed with Catupiry or another variety of requeijão, a sauce resembling ricotta and cream cheese. Most Brazilian quibe uses only ground beef, but other variations use tahini, carne de soja (texturized soy protein), seitan (Japanese wheat gluten-based meat substitute) or tofu (soybean curd) as stuffing.[41]
In the Brazilian state of Acre, a variation of quibe called quibe de arroz (rice kibbeh) is made with a rice flour breading. It was created by Arab immigrants to Brazil who had no access to wheat in the remote Amazon region of Brazil.[42]
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.[43] 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 delicacies, including empanadas, deditos and carimañolas.[44]
Dominican Republic
The Dominican version was brought to the Dominican Republic by Lebanese immigrants.[45]
Mexico
Some regional Syrian cuisine and Lebanese cuisines combine kibbeh with elements taken from Latin American cuisine, for example, it is typical of Syrian Mexicans to eat traditional kibbeh with salsa verde.[46]
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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][47]
See also
References
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