Hot and Sweet Paprika

• Paprika comes from dried sweet bell to spicy chili pepper plants. Paprika adds color and flavor to shish kebabs. Hungarian, Spanish, Turkish and Portuguese recipes all use paprika. The spice adds both mild and hot flavors, depending on the choice of sweet or hot paprika.

Coriander

• Recipes around the world use coriander in shish kebabs, such as Latin, Caribbean, Mediterranean and Indian versions. Coriander dates to 1550 B.C. Found in tombs of pharaohs, coriander adds a lemony spice to meats, like lamb, chicken, pork and shrimp.

Basil

• Whether on a marinated pork shish kebab or a chicken skewer, basil adds a minty pepper flavor to meats. In shish kebab recipes, tender meats sprinkled with basil or grilled green peppers with basil create a pleasing flavor.

Garlic

• Turkish cooks make shish kabobs with garlic tahini. Other recipes create a lemon garlic shish kebab. In each case, garlic is a standby spice for both the vegetables and meats that slide off the skewer. In lamb shish kebabs, garlic cloves mix with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dried mint and oregano to create a hearty flavor.

Rosemary

• In Eastern Europe, Armenian shish kebabs combine rosemary leaves and other spices. Multiple shish kebab recipes call for this spice, whether in orange and rosemary shrimp or charbroiled chicken shish kebabs. The rosemary leaves go into the marinade. Another shish kebab recipe pairs pork loin with pineapple chunks spiced with rosemary and citrus-honey.