Kibbeh
Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; ) is a family of dishes based on spiced ground meat, onions, and grain, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. In Levantine cuisine, kibbeh is usually made by pounding bulgur wheat together with meat into a fine paste and forming it into balls with toasted pine nuts and spices. It may also be layered and cooked on a tray, deep-fried, grilled, or served raw. In Mesopotamian cuisine, versions with rice or farina are found. Some recipes add semolina. Kibbeh is considered to be a national dish of Syria and especially in Aleppo, and is  a popular dish in the Levant. Versions are found in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Iran, the Persian Gulf, Armenia, and Turkey, and among Assyrian people. It is also found throughout Latin American countries that received substantial numbers of immigrants from the Levant during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as parts of North America. Etymology. The word is derived from the Classical Arabic "kubbah" ("kibbeh" in North Levantine Arabic), which means "ball" or "dome". Various transliterations of the name are used in different countries: in English, "kibbe" and "kibbeh". Variations. Middle East. In Levantine cuisine, a variety  of dishes made with bulgur (cracked wheat) and minced lamb are called "kibbeh". The northern Syrian city of Aleppo (Halab) is famous for having more than 17 different types. These include "kibbeh" prepared with sumac ("kibbe sumāqiyye"), yogurt ("kibbe labaniyye"), quince ("kibbe safarjaliyye"), lemon juice ("kibbe ḥāmḍa"), pomegranate sauce, cherry sauce, and other varieties, such as the "disk" "kibbeh" ("kibbe arāṣ"), the "plate" "kibbeh" ("kibbe biṣfīḥa" or "kibbe bṣēniyye") and the raw "kibbeh" ("kibbeh nayyeh"). "Kibbeh nayyeh" is a raw dish made from a mixture of bulgur, very finely minced lamb or beef similar to steak tartare, and Middle Eastern  spices, served on a platter, frequently as part of a "meze" in Lebanon and Syria, garnished with mint leaves and olive oil, and served with green onions or scallions, green hot peppers, and pita/pocket bread or "markouk" bread. Because "kibbeh nayyeh" is raw, it requires high-quality meat to prepare and has been seen as a traditional way to honor guests. "Kubba Mosul" from Iraq is flat and round like a disc. "Kubba halab" is an Iraqi version of kibbeh created with a rice crust and named after the largest city in Syria, Aleppo. "Kubbat Shorba" is an Iraqi  and Kurdish version prepared as a stew, commonly made with tomato sauce. It is often served with "arak" and various salads. A Syrian soup known as "kubbi kishk" consists of "kubbi" "torpedoes" or "footballs" in a yogurt ("kishk") and butter broth with stewed cabbage leaves. Another soup, known as "kibbeh hamda", consists of chicken stock with vegetables (usually leeks, celery, turnips and courgettes), lemon juice and garlic, with small "kibbeh" made with ground rice as dumplings. In the Syrian Jewish diaspora this is popular both at Pesach and as the pre-fast meal on the day before Yom Kippur. South  America. On Colombia's Caribbean coast, the most local variations of the dish use ground beef instead of lamb, but the original recipe, or one with mixture of beef and lamb, can be found served by the large Middle Eastern population of the zone. The dish has acquired almost vernacular presence and is frequently served in social occasions at both Arab and non-Arab households. When served as an adopted local dish, it is offered often as a starter along with other regional delicacies, including empanadas, deditos and carimañolas. Brazilian , is often stuffed with "catupiry" or "requeijão", a sauce resembling  ricotta and cream cheese of Portuguese origin. Most Brazilian "kibbeh" uses only ground beef, and not other types of meat. Other variations include tahini, (texturized soy protein), (Japanese wheat gluten-based meat substitute) or tofu (soybean curd) as stuffing. Some regional Jewish cuisines combine "kibbeh" with elements taken from Latin American cuisine, for example, it is typical of Syrian Jews in Mexico to eat the traditional kibbeh with salsa verde.