Iraqi cuisine

Iraqi cuisine, also known as Mesopotamian cuisine, boasts a rich heritage dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians. Archaeologists have unearthed tablets in ancient Iraqi ruins that contain recipes prepared for temple feasts during religious festivals, some of the world's earliest recorded cookbooks. The culinary traditions of Iraq truly blossomed during the Islamic Golden Age in Baghdad, integrating flavors and techniques from neighboring regions like Iran, Turkey, and Syria.

A typical Iraqi meal often starts with a variety of appetizers and salads collectively known as Mezza. Popular dishes you might encounter include Kebab, Gauss, Bamieh, Quzi, Falafel, Kubbah, Masgûf, and Maqluba. Stuffed vegetables such as Dolma and Mahshi are also staples of the cuisine.

Iraqi cuisine is abundant in ingredients such as vegetables, cereals, pulses, fruits, cheeses, herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds. Lamb is the preferred meat, whereas rice and bulghur wheat typically serve as staple grains. Flatbread frequently accompanies meals, often paired with an array of dips, cheeses, olives, and jams.

In addition, Iraqi cuisine features a wide variety of soups, stews, dumplings, meatballs, rice dishes, sandwiches, wraps, dairy products, bread, pastries, condiments, sauces, spices, and sweets. Traditional sweets like Kleicha cookies have origins that trace back to ancient Mesopotamia, with recipes from the Abbasid Caliphate era.

When it comes to beverages, Iraqis enjoy Arak, beer, coffee, sharbat, shinēna, and tea. Tea, or chai, holds special significance and is consumed throughout the day. Often brewed with cardamom, it possesses a stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor.