After dedicating posts to some typical dishes, such as zarb or makloubeh, it is the turn of one that is very widespread around the world, such as kibbeh. In this post we tell you what kibbeh wears and why it is so popular in Jordan and in the countries where it arrived thanks to Jordanian emigration and, in general, people from the Middle East.
Kibbeh: what he wears and how it’s made
Kibbeh, also often written as kibbe, is a dish that we already mentioned in this post about bulgur, as that is one of the ingredients present in the recipe. However, it can be said that the main ingredient is meat, which is usually lamb or beef. This meat is minced and mixed with other ingredients that enhance the flavor, such as marjoram, cinnamon or pepper. And as usual, there is no shortage of nuts, in this case the most common are pine nuts.
This meat-based dough is, in fact, the filling that is introduced into its wrapper: a kind of ball that, when closed, resembles a rugby ball, since at its ends there is a slightly pointed shape. This wrapper is made up of minced meat and the aforementioned bulgur. The size varies from one to another, but it is usually around that of a lemon, in fact adopting a similar shape.
When the ball is already closed with the filling inside, they are fried in oil, completely submerging the kibbeh. This leads to a contrast of textures: the wrapper is slightly crunchy, while the inside is softer.
Kibbeh is usually served on a plate with several units, and can form compositions that are striking to the eyes of the diner: flowers, stars and other groupings, of varying numbers. To accompany, it is common to serve yogurt sauce or tahini, which are widespread throughout the Middle East. It is also usually presented with lemon or lime slices, as many people like to sprinkle it with drops of these citrus fruits.
It is often called meat and bulgur meatball, although in reality the production process is different: although the meatball is given a round shape and battered before frying, in this case the aforementioned meat and bulgur sack or wrapper is created, and then the filling is introduced.
And about the way to ingest it, there are two ways. The most popular, with the hand, as if it were an empanada, dipping them in the sauces served as an accompaniment. In restaurants and more formal settings, they will be eaten with a fork, cutting each piece with a knife or biting directly into the kibbeh ball.
Why it’s such an international dish
Kibbeh is not only eaten in Jordan, but also throughout the Levant. In fact, in countries like Syria it is considered a national dish. In most cases, the widespread variant is that of classic kibbeh, i.e. fried. In other places, on the other hand, there are raw versions of tartare, with rice or yogurt sauce in their preparation (not simply as an accompaniment).
But as we said, kibbeh is not only famous in the Middle East and the Levant, but has also reached other places far away, in particular, some Latin American countries that experienced immigration from this region in the past.
That is why if you come from countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Argentina or Mexico, you may have had the opportunity to try it before, in one of the versions mentioned. On this continent, for linguistic reasons, it has adopted names such as quipe or quibbe.
Whether you come from one of these countries or not, we encourage you to try kibbeh in Jordan and enjoy this tasty and popular snack during your trip.
