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Kokoretsi () or kokoreç is a dish of the Balkan cuisine and Anatolia, consisting of lamb or Goat meat intestines wrapped around seasoned offal, including , hearts, , or kidneys, and typically grilled; a variant consists of chopped innards cooked on a griddle. The intestines of suckling lambs are preferred.
According to Greek linguist and philologist Georgios Babiniotis, the Greek language word κοκορέτσι ( kokorétsi) comes from Albanian kukurec. According to Turkish Armenian linguist Sevan Nişanyan, Albanian kukurec is a loanword derived from Serbo-Croatian and Bulgarian kukuruza, originally meaning corncob in these languages. Nişanyan also asserts that the Greek word is not derived from the Albanian kukurec, but both words are that were loaned from South Slavic languages independently. The Aromanian name is cucureci.
The Turkish language word kokoreç was first attested in Lokanta Esrarı; a short story written in 1920 by the Turkish author Ömer Seyfettin. The author wrote that the first time he heard of kokoreç, was when it was presented to him as a specialty of an Athens who worked in an Istanbul restaurant; it was described as a Greek dish made from small lamb intestines. The Turkish word derives from the Greek κοκορέτσι ( kokorétsi).
The filling meats are threaded onto a long skewer and wrapped with the intestine to hold them together, forming a compact roll usually about 16–24 inches long by 1½–3 inches in diameter.
Kokoretsi is usually roasted on a rotisserie over a charcoal, gas, or electrical burner, and may be basted with lemon juice and olive oil.
A quite different preparation mixes the chopped innards with chopped tomatoes and green peppers, and then cooks them on a large griddle with hot red pepper and oregano added. The cook constantly mixes and chops the mixture using two . When done, the dish is kept warm aside on the griddle until someone orders a serving.
In modern times, kokoretsi is traditionally served for Orthodox Easter celebrations; eaten as an appetizer while the lamb (being the main dish) is roasting.Vilma Chantiles, Food of Greece: Cooking, Folkways, and Travel in the Mainland and Islands of Greece, 1992, , p. 165 It is also served year-round.Jonathan Deutsch, Natalya Murakhver, They Eat That?: A Cultural Encyclopedia of Weird and Exotic Food from Around the World, 2012, , p. 125 Gardouba (γαρδούμπα) or gardoubakia (γαρδουμπάκια) is a smaller version of kokoretsi; it may be grilled like kokoretsi, roasted in a pan, or cooked in the oven.
Due to outbreak of mad cow disease in the late '90s, banning the consumption of offal was considered.Michael Herzfeld, "The European Self", in Anthony Pagden, ed., The Idea of Europe, 2002, , p. 162 However, the idea was abandoned.
In the early 2000s, during the Turkish accession to the European Union it has been speculated by the Turkish media that EU regulations regarding sheep's offal would eventually lead to a ban on kokoretsi, if Turkey ever become a member state.
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