FIFINONO – a blog about cultural exploration

History of skewers

Evidence of the prehistoric use of skewers, as far back as the Lower Paleolithic, has been found at a 300,000-year-old site in Schöningen, Germany. A stick with a burnt tip was found to have been used to cook meat over a fire!

The practice os roasting meat on a stick has been mentioned in Iliad, Classical Greece, and by Aristophanes. The story is also told of medieval Middle Eastern soldiers who cooked meat skewered on their swords.

No matter where, skewers are always so simple, quick, and delicious! Today, it’s still very relevant and loved in many different cultures! How can you deny meats on a stick right?

Today FIFINONO is making some Japanese Skewer – Yakitori, and explore some of its siblings around the world!

Let’s get started!

1. Japanese: Yakitori

Yokitori reminds FIFINONO of the good times at izakayas (casual pubs) in Japan! They are grilled over a charcoal fire on bamboo skewers, using different parts of chicken: thigh, breast, gizzard, heart etc, seasoned with Shio or Tare. We put our Yakitori in the oven and it still came out delicious!

2. Satay

Satay is from Indonesia and popular across Southeast Asia. Different kinds of seasoned meat are put together on a skewer and grilled over a wood or charcoal fire.  What makes Satay so unique is its various spices and the rich Satay sauce –  a combination of soy and peanut sauce!

3. Shaokao

Shaokao brings back so many memories of FIFI’s childhood! It literally means BBQ in Chinese and can be found at business street corners and night markets all over China. The most famous meat is lamb, but you can practically use anything ranging from various vegetables (eggplant, cabbages, mushrooms) to different meats (lamb, chicken, gizzard, beef) to even insects such as scorpions! The meat is heavily spiced with cumin and chili, it can be very addictive,  hard to put it down once you start!

4. Shish Kebab!

Kebabs are probably the most well-known skewers around the world. It doesn’t need much introduction! Shish kebab is a signature Turkish meal. The term shish kebab comes from the Turkish words şiş kebap that mean “skewer” and “roast meat”.  Various meats are typically cooked on a skewer over a fire. The traditional meat is most often mutton or lamb, but regional recipes may include beef, goat, chicken, fish as well.

The exploration of world skewers is not over! Maybe most of the countries have their own unique “skewers”. But FIFI and NONO are full now.

It’s fascinating to find these similarities in different cultural cuisines! What kind of “skewers” do you have in your culture? Leave a comment!