KQED Live’s popular Showdown series returns, featuring one of the Levant and West Asia’s most iconic dishes: the kebab.

At our showdowns, we center a single ingredient or item of food, explore its history and variety, and taste it! Each edition brings together local chefs to share their own interpretation of the featured ingredient, from its traditional roots to its most inventive contemporary expressions.

Across Iran and neighboring Levantine cultures, what seems like a simple grilled skewer represents so much more. Kebabs are a language of hospitality, memory, and migration, shaped by spice blends, marinades, fire techniques, and family traditions.

Three local Bay Area food vendors will come together to unpack the story of kebab through conversation, live demonstrations, and tasting samples. Each one brings a distinct regional approach, offering you a chance to experience how kebab changes across geography.