کباب

What it means

کباب (kabâb) means “kebab”, grilled meat on a skewer or as a flat patty. Persian word that traveled into English, French, and most European languages with the same spelling and meaning.

Iranian kebab varieties

• کباب کوبیده (kabâb-e kubide) “minced/ground meat kebab”
• کباب برگ (kabâb-e barg) “fillet leaf kebab”
• جوجه کباب (juje-kabâb) “chicken kebab”
• کباب چنجه (kabâb-e chenje) “small fillet pieces”

How to use it

• کباب می‌خوریم (kabâb mikhorim) “We are eating kebab”
• چلو کباب کوبیده (chelo kabâb-e kubide) “rice with ground kebab” (national dish)

Cultural note

چلو کباب (chelo-kabâb) is considered Iran’s national dish: long-grain Persian rice with grilled kebab and a yolk on top. Restaurants serving it (called چلوکبابی, chelo-kabâbi) are everywhere.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab