Chopan kabob

A specialty of Pashtun cuisine, chopan kabob is made with lamb meat roasted over a traditional Afghan charcoal brazier called mankal. It was named after sheep herders (chopan is a Pashto word for shepherd) who used to rub chunks of lamb with plenty of salt, skewer them on twigs or small branches, and roast the meat over a fire while watching their flocks.

Today, chopan kabob can be found in numerous kebab street stalls called dukan-e-kebabi. It is often made with jijeq - pieces of fat from the sheep's tail which are added to lamb skewers for extra flavor, while the meat is sometimes pre-marinated.

The delicious Afghan lamb skewers are seasoned with sumac or gard-e-ghooreh (sour grape powder), and commonly served with naan bread.