''Kibbeh nayyeh'' or raw ''

kibbeh Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; ; ) is a popular dish in the Arab world and the Levant in particular based on spiced lean ground meat and bulgur wheat. Kibbeh is considered to be a national dish of Lebanon and Syria. In Levantine ...

'' () is a Levantine

mezze ''Meze'' (also spelled ''mezze'' or ''mezé'') (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. It is similar to Spanish cuisine, Spanish tapas and Italian cuisine, Italian Antipasto, antipasti. A ''me ...

that consists of minced raw lamb (or beef) mixed with fine

bulgur Bulgur (; ; ; ), or Borghol (), is a cracked wheat foodstuff found in Egyptian cuisine, South Asian cuisine and West Asian cuisine. Characteristics Bulgur is distinct from cracked wheat, which is crushed wheat grain that, unlike bulgur, has ...

and spices. ''Kibbeh nayyeh'' is often served with

mint Mint or The Mint may refer to: Plants * Lamiaceae, the mint family ** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint" Coins and collectibles * Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins * Mint condition, a state of like-new ...

leaves,

olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

, and green onions.

Pita Pita ( or ; ) or pitta (British English), also known as Arabic bread (, ), as Lebanese bread and as kmaj (from the Persian ''kumaj''), is a family of yeast- leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Levant ...

bread is used to scoop it. It is sometimes served with a sauce of

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

or olive oil. Leftovers are then cooked to create a different dish. Many recipes call for ''kibbe nayyeh'' as the "shell" for cooked ''kibbeh''. In this case, however, the ''kibbe'' is rolled into a ball and stuffed with lamb, onions, pine nuts and spices, then fried. As in other dishes based on raw meat,

health department A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entity, Subnational entities, such as State (administrative division), states, county, counties an ...

s urge to exercise extreme caution when preparing and eating this kind of food.

History

There are different stories about the origins of Kibbeh nayyeh; however, the most likely theory is that it developed in Aleppo, Syria. The inhabitants of Aleppo would slaughter animals on Sundays and feast days and eat the fresh meat raw. While the other existing theory states that it dates back to 13th-century

Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon (, ; , ; ) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It is about long and averages above in elevation, with its peak at . The range provides a typical alpine climate year-round. Mount Lebanon is well-known for its snow-covered mountains, ...

. Today, kibbeh nayyeh is most popular in Lebanon and Syria. It is also consumed by Druze in Israel. Kibbeh nayyeh is a popular dish among Christians of the Levant on regular and holiday occasions such as

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

and

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

as well as the Shia of Lebanon on their holidays.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kibbeh Nayyeh Appetizers Bulgur dishes Christmas food Druze culture Easter food Ground meat Israeli cuisine Jordanian cuisine Lamb dishes Lebanese cuisine Maronite cuisine Palestinian cuisine Raw beef dishes Syrian cuisine K

History

See also

References