For hungry Silk Road travelers, roadside grills
offered some of
the world's first take-out food. Later, Mongol invaders spread the practice of grilling meat on skewers to Russia and eastern
Europe.
By the 1800s, it had become fashionable food in Russian cities. When the Soviet Union annexed Central Asia, charcoal-grilled skewered meat became
universally known by its Russian name, "shashleek."
Today, this original Central Asian BBQ is
the most popular BBQ and street food in the world,
enjoyed from eastern Europe to China, from the Mediterranean to
Siberia,
in Queens, and now in Boston.
Say "shash-leek" to a native, and watch for big smiles!
