What it means
کباب برگ (kabâb-e barg) is a classic Persian fillet kebab made from thin slices of tender meat, usually lamb or beef fillet, marinated and grilled on flat skewers. The name combines کباب (kabâb), “grilled meat,” a word Persian borrowed from Arabic کَباب (kabāb) and which also spread into Turkish, with برگ (barg), the Persian word for “leaf,” which describes how the meat is cut into thin, leaf-like slices. It contrasts with کباب کوبیده (kabâb-e koobide), which is made from ground meat rather than whole slices.
How to use it
- یه پرس کباب برگ میخوام. (ye pors kabâb-e barg mikhâm.) “I want one serving of fillet kebab.”
- کباب برگ این رستوران خیلی نرمه. (kabâb-e barg-e in restorân kheyli narme.) “The fillet kebab at this restaurant is very tender.”
- کباب برگ بهتره یا کوبیده؟ (kabâb-e barg behtare yâ koobide?) “Is fillet kebab better, or koobide?”
- کباب برگ رو با برنج زعفرونی میخورن. (kabâb-e barg ro bâ berenj-e za’feruni mikhoran.) “They eat fillet kebab with saffron rice.”
Cultural note
Kabâb-e barg is one of the most popular kebabs in Iranian restaurants and is prized for its tenderness, since it uses fillet cuts marinated in onion, oil, and sometimes saffron. It is often paired with kabâb-e koobide on a single plate, a combination known as سلطانی (soltâni), meaning “royal.” Like most Iranian kebabs, it is typically served with grilled tomatoes and either saffron rice or flatbread.