Adana Original · Hand-Minced Skewer

Adana Kebab

Photo: Anatolianpride / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Turkish regulation actually protects the name — a kebab can only be labeled "Adana Kebab" if it meets specific standards for meat, fat ratio, and hand-chopping, similar to a geographic indication for wine.

Hand-minced lamb mixed with tail fat and hot pepper is packed onto wide iron skewers and grilled directly over charcoal, arriving smoky and char-streaked over a bed of lavash with grilled tomatoes and peppers. Adana's kebab houses grade it strictly by heat level, from mild to fiery.

Why it's made this way: Adana's position on the fertile Çukurova plain, prime for both livestock and hot pepper cultivation, gave rise to a kebab style defined by its spice and rich lamb fat, distinguishing it sharply from milder kebabs elsewhere in the country.