Adana Kebab

Adana province, southern Turkey (Çukurova region) — named dish of the city; protected geographical indication dispute with Urfa kebab ongoing

Named for the southern Turkish city on the Çukurova plain, Adana kebab is ground lamb (or lamb-beef) hand-worked with tail fat, red chilli flakes, and sweet pepper paste, moulded directly onto wide flat skewers and grilled over charcoal. The key technique is the hand-kneading: the fat must be worked into the meat until the mixture becomes adhesive and holds the skewer without moulding tools. Adana's identity is its heat — isot biber (Urfa chilli) or dried red chilli gives a slow burn distinct from northern kebab styles. The meat mixture is rested refrigerated overnight before skewering, allowing myosin proteins to bind and produce a cohesive texture that does not crumble over the grill's open flame.

Served on a bed of lavash bread that absorbs the meat juices, with sumac-onion salad, roasted tomatoes, and charred peppers alongside; ayran (salted yogurt drink) is the classic pairing; the heat of isot calls for cool, acidic accompaniments