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“Such are the humiliations of the travel writer in the late 20th century: go to the ends of the earth to search for the most exotic heretics in the world, and you will find that they have cornered the kebab business at the end of your street in London.”
― William Dalrymple, From the Holy Mountain: A Journey Among the Christians of the Middle East

“The chicken kebab is moist and fragrant; the chicken chunks fall apart when I bite into them, and the aromas of turmeric and parsley flood my senses. I have to close my eyes to take in all the flavors- spicy, salty, meaty. The doogh is equally delicious; I swear I've never drunk something so creamy, so minty, so refreshing.”
― Sandhya Menon, Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love

“A Mediterranean flatbread, the pita is baked at a high temperature so that puffy pockets form in the middle, which can then be stuffed with meat or beans.
He did the same thing that Secretary Girl did with her turtle burger bun...
... picking something that would keep the meat juices from dripping out the bottom!
Hmm. You used a handmade Tzatziki sauce to ameliorate the smelliness of the kebab meat and to create a mild base to make the spices stand out.
And the burger patty...
... is kofta!
A Middle Eastern meatloaf of ground beef and lamb mixed with onions and plentiful spices, its highly fragrant aroma hits the nose hard!
Its scent and umami flavor are powerful enough to bring tears to the eyes!"
W-what is going on here?! How could they eat all that greasy, heavy meat so quickly and easily?!
"Here. Let me give you a lesson.
Four things are required for a good burger. A bun, a patty, some kind of sauce and...
...pickles.
The sharp smell and tart flavor of pickles is what highlights the meaty umami of the patty.
Pickles are a hidden but key component of the best burgers!
From what I could tell, you used ginger sticks as your pickle analogue...
... but that was a weak choice."
"What?! Then what did you choose that's so much better?!"
"The pickle type that I picked for my burger...
...is achaar."
"Achaar?"
"What kind of pickle is that?"
ACHAAR
South Asian in origin, achaar consists of fruits or vegetables pickled in mustard oil or brine, and then mixed with a variety of spices.
Sometimes called Indian pickles, achaar is strongly tart and spicy.
This is achaar I made with onions.
The spicy scent of the mustard oil makes the meaty umami of the kofta patty really stands out. For the tartness, I used amchoor- also known as mango powder- a citrusy powder made from dried unripe mangoes. But that's just the base.
I added lemon juice to bolster the citrusy flavor of the amchoor...
... and then some garlic, ginger and chili peppers to give it an aroma that tickles the nose.
Cloves. Cumin seeds. Black pepper.
Paprika. I even added a dab of honey to give it a hint of sweetness.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, ʳꪤΥ½©`¥Þ 10 [Shokugeki no Souma 10]