The Origin of Lahmacun

    Lahmacun has a long history, it has existed in the world for more than 5000 years. The word “lahmacun” comes from an Arabic word, laḥm ˁacīn, which means kneaded (like a dough) meat. Separately, “lahm” means meat, and “acin” means kneaded dough. The word “acin” comes from another Arabic word, “macun”. Macun refers to the object that has the consistency of dough. The first example of the word lahmacun in written sources is included in Evliya Çelebi’s work named travel, before the year 1680. But the word lahmacun has not been any dictionary before the 20th century.

Baking dough with meat has been around for millennia in the Middle East, and Turks, especially the Tatars, were known to prepare thin bread with a combination of meat and cheese for their meals. The exact manner of baking in this dish can be traced back to the 17th century, when Evliya Çelebi visited Damascus and recorded it in his famous travelogue “Seyahatname.” He wrote that he ate a “lahm-ı acînlı börek,” which came to be called the lahmacun we know and love today. Çelebi first gave it the name börek in reference to the thin layer of dough. Close to Damascus are the provinces of Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep, so the dish spread rather quickly simply due to the vicinity. While the dish remained a staple in region and was not too widely consumed outside the Ottoman empire, the concept was taken to the Americas in the 19th century. South Americans gave it a Latin spin and is now known as “sfiha” in Argentina and Brazil. Over the years, the dish spread throughout Turkey, and in the 1960s it became so popular long queues could be seen in cities throughout the country, as people flocked to try out this southeastern specialty.