The World of Kebabs

Interview with Dr. Anand Prakash - Author of The World of Kebabs
Interview By Tara Lee




Fire up the grill! Dr. Anand Prakash has just released The World of Kebabs (Whitecap Books) that features kebabs from around the globe. Dr. Prakash has spent over twenty-five years touring all over the world in search of recipes that reflect the diversity and vibrancy of kebab culture. In this conversation with CityFood, he talks about his travels, his extensive historical research, and above all, the secrets to making the perfect kebab.


CityFood: You have an impressive and unusual professional background for a cookbook author. You hold four university degrees, including a PhD in Marine Biology from UBC, and you were the Senior Scientific Advisor at Environment Canada. How did you become interested in kebabs?

Anand Prakash: My first encounter was when I was visiting the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez. In the evening, I came home to the hotel and I was wondering where to go for dinner that night. I stood in the balcony and I could smell the aroma of barbecue and I literally followed my nose. Right in the park, there was a big trolley with a great barbecue brazier on it and they were making what are called pinchos in Puerto Rico. So, I bought a cold beer, sat down, and tried it. It was fantastic! And then, as I was travelling all over, I noticed that sure enough, there was food on a stick in every place.



CF: Has your scientific background helped you in writing this cookbook?

AP: Very much so. I look at kebab cookery as more of a science than an art. For example, with marinades, you are changing the chemical composition of the meat through enzyme reactions. You tenderize the connective tissues and some of the proteins are denatured to make the toughness of the meat go away for a while. If you over marinade, the meat starts cooking and becomes soft and loses its appeal.



CF: Kebabs go by many different names and spellings. Why did you decide to use “kebab