Shish Kebabs, or grilled pieces of skewered meat, originated from Turkey and are popular all over the world. Different variants consists of the French brochette, Thai satay, Greek souvlaki, and Japanese yakitori.
In Xi'an, China, you'll find street stalls selling kebabs everywhere. Mutton kebabs - 羊肉串 - are especially popular (and more expensive). Goats are an important animal in Xi'an, due to the large Muslim population. There's no shortage of lamb / mutton kebabs in Xian's Muslim Quarter. To prove that the stall or restaurant is serving genuine goat meat (as opposed to relatively cheaper beef), entire goats are processed in public view. Meat is meticulously cut down to the bone from a hanging carcass with practically no wastage. Cumin and chili powder are sprinkled over the skewers as they're grilled over burning charcoals. The perfect blend between fat and meat makes for delectable and juicy kebabs. No part of the animal is wasted; even the hooves are used and made into a stewed dish. While kebabs are considered fast food, each individual skewer requires quite a bit of preparation.
