Shish kofta

Şiş köftes before being grilled

Şiş köfte (Turkish) is a kebab variant. It consists of köfte, minced lamb, mutton, veal or beef, or a mixture of some of these meats with herbs, often including parsley and mint, on a şiş (skewer), grilled. The food is popular in Turkey, where there are hundreds of versions of köfte such as ıslama köfte, sulu köfte, kuru köfte, İzmir köfte, İnegöl köfte, Tekirdağ köfte, Tire köfte, Akçaabat köfte, dalyan köfte, sucuk köfte, çiğ köfte, and kadınbudu köfte; and, is usually served with pilav (rice) and a salad.

The origin of the word köfte is the Persian word کوفته kufteh meaning "mashed". In old times since people did not have meat grinders they minced meat to very small pieces and then mashed them in rather large mortars.

See also

• List of kebabs
• Turkish cuisine