Cherry kebab

Cherry kebab, called kebab bil karaz in Arabic, is a specialty of Aleppo in Syria, made from minced lamb cooked with cherries. Despite the name it is a stew-like preparation rather than a grilled skewer, with the fruit giving the dish a bright purplish magenta colour. The authentic version calls for the small, bitter, crimson sour cherry known as the St. Lucie cherry, a Prunus cerasus variety that also appears as Aleppo, Montmorency and Morello types, because its mix of sweetness and sourness balances the richness of the lamb. The dish is known under other names, including kebab garaz among Jews, kebab con cerezas in Mexico and fishnah kabab among Armenians.