{{Short description|Grilled lamb or goat intestine dish}} {{Infobox prepared food | name = Kokoretsi | image = Kokoreç.JPG | image_size = 250px | caption = Multiple rolls of kokoretsi roasting on wood fire in İzmir, Turkey | alternate_name = | country = Byzantine Empire | region = Balkans, Asia Minor | creator = | course = | type = Meat dish | served = | main_ingredient = Lamb or goat intestines, offal (sweetbreads, hearts, lungs or kidneys) | variations = | calories = | other = }}
'''Kokoretsi''' ({{Langx|el|κοκορέτσι}}) or '''kokoreç''' is a dish of the Balkans and Anatolia (Asia Minor), consisting of lamb or goat intestines wrapped around seasoned offal, including sweetbreads, hearts, lungs, or kidneys, and typically grilled; a variant consists of chopped innards cooked on a griddle. The intestines of suckling lambs are preferred.
==History and names== A dish identical to modern kokoretsi is first attested in the cuisine of the Byzantines.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Koukoules|first=Phaidon I.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0VhoAAAAMAAJ|title=Βυζαντινών βίος και πολιτισμός|date=1952|publisher=Papazisis Publishers|isbn=9789600201413|volume=5|pages=56–57|language=el}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite thesis|last=Skordaki-Kasimi|first=Vasiliki|title=Η Παρουσία των διατροφικών αγαθών στα έθιμα του κύκλου της ζωής και του χρόνου στο Βυζάντιο|publisher=University of Peloponnese|url=https://amitos.library.uop.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/5353|language=el|page=47|quote=Οι Βυζαντινοί μεταχειρίζονταν τα λεπτά έντερα των αιγοπροβάτων όπως περίπου και οι σημερινοί Έλληνες όταν παρασκευάζουν κοκορέτσι· ονομάζονταν χορδαί ή χορδία (ή κόρδα στην βόρεια Πελοπόννησο) και με μια απλή διαδικασία αναστρέφονταν με την βοήθεια ενός μικρού ξύλου για να καθαριστούν. Τυλίγονταν στην συνέχεια σε πλεξούδες, με το ανάλογο σχήμα, ή γύρω από άλλα εντόσθια σε σούβλα, όπως το κοκορέτσι. Άλλες ονομασίες που εντοπίζονται σε μεσαιωνικά κείμενα είναι τα γαρδούμενον και γαρδούμιον, που θυμίζουν την ονομασία γαρδούμπα.|date=2019}}</ref> They called it {{lang|grc-x-medieval|πλεκτήν}} (''plektín''), {{lang|grc-x-medieval|κοιλιόχορδα}} (''koilióchorda''), or {{lang|grc-x-medieval|χορδόκοιλα}} (''chordókoila''); the latter two are preserved with the meaning of wrapped intestines in the Greek idioms of Corfu as {{lang|el|τσοιλίχουρδα}} (''tsoilíchourda''), of Plovdiv as {{lang|el|χορδόκοιλα}} (''chordókoila''), of Chios as {{lang|el|σοιλίγουρδα}} (''soilígourda''), of Pontians as {{lang|el|χορδόγκοιλα}} (''chordógkoila''), and in part, of Zagori and Argyrades as {{lang|el|χορδή}} (''chordí''), of Thessaly as {{lang|el|χουρδή}} (''chourdí''), of northern Peloponnese as {{lang|el|κορδιά}} (''kordiá'') or {{lang|el|κόρδα}} (''kórda''), and of Vogatsiko as {{lang|el|κουρδί}} (''kourdí'').<ref name=":4" /> Other names found in medieval texts are {{lang|grc-x-medieval|γαρδούμιον}} (''gardoúmion'') and {{lang|grc-x-medieval|γαρδούμενον}} (''gardoúmenon''), from which {{lang|el|γαρδούμπα}} (''gardoúmpa'') and {{lang|el|γαρδουμπάκια}} (''gardoumpákia'') derive, as alternative names for a smaller version of kokoretsi in Greece.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":2" /> Τhe Medieval Greek {{lang|grc-x-medieval|γαρδούμιον}} (''gardoúmion'') in turn derives from Latin {{lang|la|caldumen}}; from {{lang|la|caldus}} or {{lang|la|calidus}} 'warm, hot'.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Babiniotis|first=Georgios|title=Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας|publisher=Lexicology Center Ltd|year=2002|isbn=960-86190-1-7|pages=400, 915|language=el|author-link=Georgios Babiniotis|orig-year=1998}}</ref>
The Babiniotis Dictionary writes that the Greek word {{lang|el|κοκορέτσι}} (''kokorétsi'') comes from Albanian {{lang|sq|kukurec}}.<ref name=":3" /> The Nişanyan dictionary calls Albanian {{lang|sq|kukurec}} a loanword from Serbo-Croatian and Bulgarian ''kukuruza'', originally meaning corncob.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Nişanyan|first=Sevan|author-link=Sevan Nişanyan|date=2002|title=kokoreç|url=http://nisanyansozluk.com/?k=kokore%C3%A7|access-date=2020-02-24|website=Nişanyan Sözlük – Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojisi}}</ref> Nişanyan also asserts that the Greek word is not derived from the Albanian {{lang|sq|kukurec}}, but that they were both loaned from South Slavic languages independently.<ref name=":1" /> The Aromanian name is {{lang|rup|cucureci}}.<ref name="aro">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T0YLAQAAIAAJ|title=Dacoromania: buletinul "Muzeului Limbei Române", Volume 4|publisher=Editura Institutului de Arte Grafice "Ardealul"|year=1927|page=955|language=ro}}</ref>
The Turkish word {{lang|tr|kokoreç}} was first attested in ''Lokanta Esrarı''; a short story written in 1920 by the Turkish author Ömer Seyfettin. The author wrote that the first time he heard of {{lang|tr|kokoreç}}, was when it was presented to him as a specialty of an Athenian who worked in an Istanbul restaurant; it was described as a Greek dish made from small lamb intestines.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mert|first=Necati|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7h9kAAAAMAAJ|title=Ömer Seyfettin: İslamcı Milliyetçi ve Modernist Bir Yazar|publisher=Kaknüs Yayinlari|year=2004|isbn=978-9756698884|page=437|language=tr|quote=Mihail, kokoreç müjdesi verir anlatıcıya: "Kozmos'tan bir aşçı çırağı kaçırdık, şimdi bize geldi. Atinalı. Kokoreç yapmasını biliyormuş. Yarın yaptıracağız." Fakat, kokoreç'i bilmez anlatıcı. Söz Mihail'in: "Ah, bilmezsin. Kuzu bağırsağı. Kız saçı gibi örülü. Ah beğimu, bak ne kadar güzel. Görezeksin. Görezeksin."}}</ref> The Turkish word derives from the Greek {{lang|el|κοκορέτσι}} (''kokorétsi'').<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Tietze|first=Andreas|url=http://www.tuba.gov.tr/tr/programlar-ve-projeler/akademi-projeleri/tarihi-ve-etimolojik-turkiye-turkcesi-lugati-projesi-1|title=Tarihi ve Etimolojik Türkiye Türkçesi Lugati|publisher=Turkish Academy of Sciences|year=2016|isbn=978-9944-252-82-9|volume=4|page=340|language=tr|access-date=2021-09-15|archive-date=2021-05-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516004321/http://www.tuba.gov.tr/tr/programlar-ve-projeler/akademi-projeleri/tarihi-ve-etimolojik-turkiye-turkcesi-lugati-projesi-1|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Preparation== {{Unreferenced section|date=October 2022}} The offal, along with some fat, is washed and cut into ½ to ¾-inch thick pieces, and lightly seasoned with lemon, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, and sometimes garlic. The intestine is turned inside out and carefully washed, then rubbed with salt and often soaked in vinegar or lemon juice and water.
The filling meats are threaded onto a long skewer and wrapped with the intestine to hold them together, forming a compact roll usually about 16–24 inches long by 1½–3 inches in diameter.
Kokoretsi is usually roasted on a horizontal skewer over a charcoal, gas, or electrical burner, and may be basted with lemon juice and olive oil.
A quite different preparation mixes the chopped innards with chopped tomatoes and green peppers, and then cooks them on a large griddle with hot red pepper and oregano added. The cook constantly mixes and chops the mixture using two spatulas. When done, the dish is kept warm aside on the griddle until someone orders a serving.
==Serving== {{Unreferenced section|date=October 2022}} The cooked kokoretsi is chopped or sliced, sprinkled with oregano, and served on a plate. Sometimes it is served on a piece of flatbread. Some add tomatoes or spices in it. It may also (especially in Turkey) be served in half a baguette or in a sandwich bun, plain or garnished, almost always with oregano and red pepper. In Turkey, common side dishes are pickled peppers or cucumbers. It is often seasoned with lemon, oregano, salt, a pepper, and typically accompanied by wine or rakı.
<gallery> File:Ioannina - kokoretsi.jpg|Sliced kokoretsi, served with flatbread and french fries in Ioannina File:Kokoreç (6377124455).jpg|Kokoretsi with tomatoes and spices, served on bread in Eminönü File:Kokoreç 01.jpg|Served on a plate in Balat, Fatih, Istanbul </gallery>
==National and regional variations==
===Byzantine Empire and Greece=== [[File:Traditional Greek Easter lamb and Kokoretsi.jpg|thumb|Kokoretsi being roasted with lamb during Greek Orthodox Easter celebrations]] The Byzantines treated the small intestines of sheep and goats the same way as modern Greeks do when making kokoretsi.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":2" /> Through a simple process, the intestines were inverted with the help of a small stick in order to be cleaned. They were then wrapped in braids, in the appropriate shape, or around other entrails on a skewer.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":2" />
In modern times, kokoretsi is traditionally served for Orthodox Easter celebrations; eaten as an appetizer while the lamb (being the main dish) is roasting.<ref>Vilma Chantiles, ''Food of Greece: Cooking, Folkways, and Travel in the Mainland and Islands of Greece'', 1992, {{isbn|0671750968}}, p. 165</ref> It is also served year-round.<ref>Jonathan Deutsch, Natalya Murakhver, ''They Eat That?: A Cultural Encyclopedia of Weird and Exotic Food from Around the World'', 2012, {{isbn|0313380589}}, p. 125</ref> Gardouba (γαρδούμπα) or gardoubakia (γαρδουμπάκια) is a smaller version of kokoretsi; it may be grilled like kokoretsi, roasted in a pan, or cooked in the oven.
Due to outbreak of mad cow disease in the late '90s, banning the consumption of offal was considered.<ref>Michael Herzfeld, "The European Self", in Anthony Pagden, ed., ''The Idea of Europe'', 2002, {{isbn|0521791715}}, p. 162</ref> However, the idea was abandoned.{{Citation needed|date=October 2015}}
===Turkey=== [[File:Kokoreç (6377122133).jpg|thumb|Turkish {{lang|tr|kokoreççi}} (kokoretsi maker) in Fatih, İstanbul]] Kokoretsi is one of the most consumed fast foods in Turkey,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fethiyetimes.com/eat/24204-24204.html|title=Street Food: Kokoreç – a delicacy for offal lovers|last=Ward|first=Lyn|date=2017-12-01|website=Fethiye Times|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-09-23|archive-date=2020-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126093357/https://www.fethiyetimes.com/eat/24204-24204.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> being described as "the signature delight" of the country.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Thorne|first1=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xZdrKwSZse0C&q=kokore%C3%A7+turkey+signature&pg=PT112|title=Mouth Wide Open: A Cook and His Appetite|last2=Thorne|first2=Matt Lewis|date=2008-11-25|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux|isbn=978-1-4668-0646-7|language=en}}</ref> Although it is also served in some restaurants, most of the kokoretsi is prepared, cooked and sold in small kiosks year-round, and is usually consumed as a sandwich. Kokoretsi makers are called {{lang|tr|kokoreççi}} in Turkish.
In the early 2000s, during the Turkish accession to the European Union it has been speculated by the Turkish media that EU regulations regarding sheep's offal would eventually lead to a ban on kokoretsi, if Turkey ever become a member state.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sabah.com.tr/dunya/2009/10/21/kokorec_almanyada|title=Kokoreç Almanya'da|website=Sabah|language=tr|access-date=2020-03-11}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
===Others=== The Aromanians also prepare kokoretsi.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/social/retete-de-paste-kokoretsi-friptura-de-miel-preparata-de-aromani-o-delicatesa-a-sultanilor.html|title=Rețete de Paște. Kokoretsi, friptură de miel preparată de aromâni, o delicatesă a sultanilor|publisher=Pro TV|date=17 April 2014|language=ro}}</ref><ref name="aro" />
==See also== {{portal|Food}} * Haggis, a similar dish from the United Kingdom * List of goat dishes * List of lamb dishes * Torcinello, a similar southern Italian dish * Stigghiola, a similar southern Italian dish
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Cuisine of Albania}} {{Cuisine of Greece}} {{Cuisine of Turkey}}
Category:Byzantine cuisine Category:Greek cuisine Category:Ottoman cuisine Category:Middle Eastern grilled meats Category:Easter food Category:Lamb and mutton dishes Category:Goat dishes Category:Hot sandwiches Category:Turkish sandwiches Category:Street food in Turkey Category:Albanian cuisine Category:Aromanian cuisine Category:Intestine dishes