The Culinary Institute of America Presents ProChef.com

Skewered meats grilled over coals are a near-universal food and a favorite throughout the Mediterranean. From Greece to Turkey to Lebanon to Iran, cooks have developed different marinades, sauces and ways of cutting meat to distinguish their kebabs and elevate them to an art.

In many of these cultures, grilled kebabs are purchased from street vendors or modest kebab shops, but more elaborate versions appear in formal restaurants. In an American establishment, small kebabs with Mediterranean seasonings could work as bar food or on a meze menu. When sizzling, aromatic skewers of beef arrive at a table, heads always turn.

Here are some traditional kebab ideas from the Mediterranean:

Adana kebabi: Turkish ground meat kebabs seasoned with minced onion, garlic and hot red pepper and served on flat bread with grilled tomatoes and peppers

Kefta: Lebanese ground meat kebabs seasoned with cinnamon, allspice and onion and served with pita bread and an onion and sumac salad

Köfte: Turkish ground meat kebabs that may include rice or bulgur, cumin and allspice

Lebanese kebabs: cubed meat marinated in olive oil with lemon juice, garlic, cinnamon and allspice, grilled and served on pita bread softened with the meat juices

Shish kebab: cubed meat marinated with olive oil, garlic, paprika, allspice and mint, grilled and served on flat bread with grilled tomatoes and peppers

Souvlakia: Greek kebabs of cubed meat marinated in olive oil with lemon juice, oregano, garlic and bay leaves

Yogurt kebab: cubed meat in a Turkish yogurt marinade with onion and thyme, grilled and served on flat bread with more yogurt, tomato sauce and grilled peppers