Urfa Eggplant Kebab Product Description and Distinguishing Features: The province of Şanlıurfa, located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region, is known for its deep-rooted culinary culture based on locally grown products. In 1644, during his travels along the Silk Road, the French merchant and traveler Jean-Baptists Tavernier mentioned the deliciousness of Urfa dishes in his travelogue. Urfa (Şanlıurfa) Eggplant Kebab, considered one of the most important dishes of Urfa cuisine, is highly recognized and valued both by the people of Urfa and throughout Turkey. It is known for its time-consuming, labor-intensive, and unique production method, requiring expertise and distinguished taste. The distinctive feature of the "Eggplant Kebab," also known as "balcanlı" kebab in the Şanlıurfa region, comes from using minced meat made from the grinding of meat and tail fat in a special tool called "zırh" and the utilization of Birecik Eggplant, which has a geographical indication with very few seeds, soft fruit pulp, and a purple or aubergine color. Birecik Eggplant, grown in a hot and dry environment, is ideal for eggplant kebabs since it is not watery. The other distinctive feature of Urfa (Şanlıurfa) Eggplant Kebab is that it is cooked on a barbecue. Production Method: Urfa (Şanlıurfa) Eggplant Kebab is prepared by grinding fatty minced meat in a "zırh," forming the ground meat into balls, and threading the eggplants and meatballs onto skewers, then cooking them on a wood charcoal fire. The equipment, components, production stages, and the final product used in the production of Urfa (Şanlıurfa) Eggplant Kebab will comply with the Turkish Food Codex horizontal and vertical regulations. Ingredients: - 200-210 grams of minced meat from the empty part of a male lamb of Ivesi breed, ground with "zırh." - 2 large eggplants, straight, not bitter, and without seeds. - 2-4 fresh Şanlıurfa Peppers. - 3 grams of salt. Preparation of Urfa (Şanlıurfa) Eggplant Kebab: 1. Preparation of Minced Meat: After resting for one day, the meat is ground using a "zırh" (a large crescent-shaped sharp knife with a wooden handle) without adding anything other than salt. 2. Preparation of Eggplants: The unused part of the eggplants is discarded, and the remaining part is cut into four equal pieces, cylindrical in shape. 3. Skewering: A square-sectioned skewer, made of forged iron and about 50-60 cm long, with a sharp end for stabbing meat and a twisted end, is used for making Urfa (Şanlıurfa) Eggplant Kebab. Each sliced eggplant is threaded onto a single skewer without disrupting the order of slicing, starting from the back slice of the eggplant. One slice of eggplant is taken, stabbed onto the kebab skewer from the center, and about 30-35 grams of minced meat is added without squeezing it tightly. It is attached to the skewer in a loose, round shape, sticking to the eggplant slice. This way, one skewer contains 4 slices of eggplant and 3 meatballs. Each skewer of Urfa (Şanlıurfa) Eggplant Kebab should contain no less than 180-200 grams of meat. 4. Cooking: The prepared skewers are cooked on a charcoal fire, first on one side, then on the opposite side, and then the remaining two sides consecutively. During the approximately 20-minute cooking, the eggplant skins turn black as they cook. The meat is considered cooked when its color changes from red to brown. 5. Presentation: The cooked kebab skewers are taken from the fire, and the kebab shape is preserved by pulling them from the skewer to the tray in one move. After sprinkling a little water or pomegranate juice over it, a tray of the same size as the tray containing the kebab is placed over it. After waiting for about 20 minutes, the tray is flipped over to prepare it for presentation. The prepared Urfa (Şanlıurfa) Eggplant Kebab is placed on a serving plate without changing its shape. One portion, consisting of two skewers of eggplant kebab, is served with grilled fresh Şanlıurfa Peppers, sliced onions, flatbread, or homemade bread cooked on a griddle, and buttermilk.