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 in the world,
enjoyed from eastern Europe to China, from Siberia to
the Mediterranean,
in Queens, and now in Boston.
Say "shash-leek" to a native, and watch for big smiles!
