Kibbeh nayyeh is often served with mint leaves, olive oil, and green onions. Pita bread is used to scoop it. It is sometimes served with a sauce of garlic or olive oil.[4]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 departments urge to exercise extreme caution when preparing and eating this kind of food.[5][6]
Preparation
Traditionally, kibbeh nayyeh was prepared in a mortar and pestle and using fresh meat, slautered on the same day.[4]
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. The other existing theory states that it dates back to 13th-century Mount Lebanon.[7]
Kibbeh nayyeh is very prevalent in weddings in the Galilee region, author Reem Kassis, whose father is from the Galilee, states that "There’s no wedding in a Galilee village without kibbe nayyah."[10]
^Ashkenazi, Michael (2020). Food Cultures of Israel: Recipes, Customs, and Issues. ABC-CLIO. p. XXIII. ISBN9781440866869.
^Edelstein, Sari (2010). Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality, and Nutrition Professionals. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. p. 585. ISBN9781449618117.
