The Kabob Dilemma

Op-Ed by AK Rahim

My freshman year in college consisted of a delicate balance between takeout boxes and an ever-diminishing supply of mom’s frozen homemade dishes. Each frozen Tupperware contained more than just microwaveable feasts; she sealed in bits of culture and heavy doses of ancestral memories. Going to the nearest Middle Eastern or Asian eatery never compared, and sometimes exacerbated matters, as it often enhanced my longing for mom’s bold use of turmeric or the hint of rosewater she added to every dish, sweet or savory. Wallowing in self-pity, I wondered how hard could it be to cook these dishes in a restaurant!

Thankfully, I registered for an economics course that semester.

When catering to a largely western population, Middle Eastern and Asian eateries stick to a simpler menu, particularly heavy on the selection of kabobs. The low overhead for kabobs is an advantage for first-generation restaurants in American urban centers. Simplifying grandma’s recipes to accommodate the American palate also keeps the cost of ingredients – such as pricey spices and herbs – down. Kabob is similar to pizza in that it’s easy to make, easy to ship, and most importantly, edible the following morning for a college student’s breakfast.

Aside from the economic reasons for the popularity of kabob and pizza, these dishes also share a strong association with their cultures of origin.

Though there are similar dishes all around the Mediterranean, like the French pissaladière and the Turkish lahmacun, pizza became the first Italian emissary to America, then to the world. The combination of Roma tomatoes and mozzarella from the buffalos of Campania, topped with some basil, will make anyone go mama mia.

Kabob followed a different trajectory. The Levantine kibbeh is as alien to Yemen as it is to Ohio, but a chicken kabob cuts through any national or linguistic border. Though there are some popular cuisine-specific kabobs, like adana or chicken tikka, the tendency is to downplay the differences for the benefit of the whole kabob brotherhood. Think of it as kabob diplomacy.

There is a concern, particularly among the more gastronomically aware, that these generic kabob houses are homogenizing the diversity of Middle Eastern cuisine. There is some truth to this. However, kabob, like pizza in the previous generations, serves as a gateway to our diverse and rich cuisines, whether enjoyed in a fine restaurant or in a college dorm.

 

Abdul-Kadar (AK) RahimAbdul-Kadar (AK) Rahim is a marketer and product developer with a healthy obsession with all-things culinary. He is part of NooshTube’s creative team, collaborating on content and marketing. Though brought up on the East Coast, he has a tendency to roam around the world, collecting stories and recipes along the way.