PICK UP STICKS

People the world over love snacks on sticks.LEE TRAN LAM takes us on an global tour of skewered street foods.

- LEE TRAN LAM

Who needs cutlery when you can pierce your favourite foods with bamboo, sugarcane, bay leaf sticks, or literal swords as you enjoy them on the run? Humans have been perfecting the art of grab-and-go dishes for centuries: archaeological research suggests ancient Greeks were skewering meat nearly four thousand years ago. Since then, different styles of charring food on sticks have emerged across the world, marked by trails of smoke, sizzling soundtracks, and multicultural influences. Satay, for instance, can be found across Southeast Asia and was likely inspired by Arab traders who turned up in Indonesia and Malaysia. Kebabs initially emerged in the Middle East and have changed eating habits globally – at all hours of the day. Many of these dishes showcase flair and creativity, giving unpopular ingredients a culinary makeover through intense flavor-enhancing flames and resourceful marinades. Or think of the sugarcane reed in Vietnamese chaọ tôm: it isn’t just a handy skewer for charring – it’s also something you savour as you chew on its refreshing, sweet stalk afterwards.

KEBABS

The name “kebab” is Persian and the first written reference to this food appeared in 1377 in a Turkish text (