Fruit kabobs are skewered diagonally sliced fruits, often served with sweet yogurt-based sauces. They are not cooked and are a misnomer as kabobs are traditionally grilled or charred meat dishes. Fruit kabobs are popular with children and make interesting appetizers when paired with different dipping sauces. They can also be marinated for stronger flavors.
A fruit kabob is a snack that is prepared from diagonally sliced fruits. Almost any variety of fruit can be used, including berries, bananas, melons and pineapples. The simplest fruit kabobs are skewered and served straight up; more complicated versions are marinated and are often served with sweet, often yogurt-based sauces. Fruit kabobs are almost never cooked which makes them something of a misnomer. Traditionally, the word “kabob” is reserved for grilled or charred meat. Fruit kebabs get their name from their style of presentation, not their content or method of preparation.
Strictly speaking, a kabob – sometimes also spelled “kebab” – is a meat dish that has origins in the Middle East, specifically Turkey, Afghanistan and Iraq. Kebab is a Turkish word meaning “burnt” or “charred”, and is used to describe any meat that has been cooked that way. The meat is usually prepared on a skewer and roasted over high heat. If the meat is also served on that skewer, it’s referred to as a shish kebab, with shish being the Turkish work for “skewer.”
A fruit kabob looks a lot stylistically like a shish kebab, but the resemblance ends with the looks. It contains no meat and is rarely cooked. A beef kabob, vegetable kabob, or chicken kabob must be cooked before eating, and in many respects, these dishes are characterized by grill marks and a smoky flavor. Grilling fruit-based kebabs is almost never done, unless the kebabs are made mostly of fibrous fruit like pineapple.
In most cases, a fruit kabob is little more than a fruit salad presented on a skewer rather than in a bowl or plate. Cooks use the skewer to add interest and a little novelty to the table. The preparation is often very popular with children and is commonly used as a means of getting young people to eat fruit. Children who are encouraged to play an active role in meal preparation, whether it’s picking fruit or tipping it themselves, are often more inclined to eat the finished product.
The kabobs also make some interesting appetizers. The hosts often prepare platters of fruit kabob variations for guests. Skewers make fruit portable and easy to eat as finger food. Kebabs also make for a glamorous presentation, particularly when paired with different dipping sauces. Yogurt and caramel are among the most popular, although a chocolate sauce is sometimes used to transform the kabobs into a more decadent, fondue-like dessert.
Depending on the cook and the overall sophistication of the presentation, a fruit kabob might be marinated in juice or syrup before serving. Marinated kabobs can be messier, because they tend to drip, but they often impart stronger, more robust flavors. Melon, banana, and other porous fruits tend to absorb marinade juices better.
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