Making kebab in Adana means protecting the definition registered with the Adana Chamber of Commerce, and for us that is a responsibility. It means keeping alive a culture passed from master to apprentice, the labour behind it, and an understanding of flavour that reaches us from the past.
As a kebab maker who works by traditional methods, I believe this: while protecting the traditional flavour we are also obliged to follow today’s food safety rules. Producing in line with the regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is an inseparable part of mastery.
What happens to temperature under the zırh
So how safe is meat prepared by traditional methods? Chasing that question, I carried out a study in which I observed the change in temperature while mincing meat with the zırh.
I took one kilogram of meat out of the chiller at +4 °C, and while working it with the zırh at room temperature I observed that the temperature reached +13 °C within a short time.
What this result says, and what it does not
This result points to something we need to dwell on. The mechanical effect the zırh applies to the meat, the ambient temperature and the duration of the process can all change the temperature of the meat. However, the temperature rising to +13 °C does not on its own prove that the meat has spoiled or that bacteria have multiplied. Duration, hygiene conditions and microbiological data must also be evaluated.
Moreover, as the amount of meat, the starting temperature and the processing time change, so can the results. For this reason, evaluating temperature control in traditional production through scientific measurement carries great importance.
The real responsibility of mastery
Our duty is to protect the spirit of the traditional kebab without compromising on food safety. While keeping alive the texture the zırh gives the meat, the kebab’s own distinctive aroma and the marks of mastery, we must also keep every stage of production under control.
Because tradition is not only an inheritance we received from the past; it is a responsibility we must pass on to future generations in safety.
The future of Adana kebab depends on our being able to bring tradition together with science.
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