It's a common dish in the Levant area of the Middle East, which includes present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. An old family friend told me that this particular recipe came to the Levant area from Turkey during the time of the Ottoman Empire. This recipe is commonly transliterated as Shish Tawook, Shish Tawouk, Sheesh Tawook, and Shish Taouk.