Seekh Kebab variants from around the world. Kebabs are a wide variety of skewered meals found worldwide that originated in the Middle East, and later were adopted in the Balkans, the Caucasus, other parts of Europe, as well as Central and South Asia. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab cooked on a skewer.In the Middle East, however, kebab refers to meat that is cooked over or next to flames; large or small cuts of meat, or even ground meat; it may be served on plates, in sandwiches, or in bowls.