Shish taouk


Shish taouk is a traditional marinated chicken shish kebab of Ottoman cuisine that later became part of Middle Eastern cuisine. It is widely eaten in Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and Israel. A similar dish in Persian cuisine is the traditional jujeh kabab. It is also served in kebab houses in many cities around the world.

Etymology

Shish in Syrian-Arabic dialects or şiş in Turkish means skewer. Some scholars assert that it is itself a Persian loanword from sikh, others say that it comes from the root "sı" in old Turkish meaning "to cut". It has been adopted in Egyptian Arabic, Lebanese-Arabic and Syrian-Arabic dialects. Tavuk comes from old Turkic takagu and means chicken.

Preparation

The dish consists of cubes of chicken that are marinated, then skewered and grilled. Common marinades are based upon yogurt and lemon juice or tomato puree, though there are other variations.

Methods of serving

The dish is eaten either as a sandwich or on a platter with vegetables, sometimes with rice or French fries. The Turkish cuisine version is generally served with rice, yogurt, and skewer-grilled vegetables. The Syrian and Lebanese version is usually served with toum, hummus and tabbouleh. The sandwich version comes generally in a flatbread or as a dürüm, and frequently accompanied by lettuce, tomatoes, and pickled turnips.
In Israeli cuisine it is served with a sumac flavored tahini, fried onions, flatbread/pita and grilled hot chili peppers along with tabbouleh or Israeli salad and pickles