Iraqi

Iraqi cuisine sits between Mesopotamia (the world's oldest agricultural civilization), Persian Empire, Ottoman Empire, and Bedouin Arab tradition. Wheat and barley were domesticated here 10,000 years ago. The kitchen leans heavily on rice, lamb, dates, dried lime (noomi basra), and a deep tradition of stews (marag).

Masgouf is Baghdad's flag — a flat-cut Tigris carp seasoned with salt, tamarind, turmeric, then stood vertically by the riverside open-fire grill, smoke-roasted for an hour, finished with fresh tomato, onion, lime. The fish vendors of Abu Nuwas Street are 80+ years old in style.

Dolma (Iraqi version uses grape, chard, onion shells stuffed with rice, ground lamb, tomato paste, dried lime, sumac, simmered all day in one pot, layered upside-down so the bottom layer caramelises). Kubbat Mosul (large flat semolina-and-meat patty), Kubba Hamuth (semolina-shell dumpling in tamarind-and-tomato broth), Quzi (whole roast lamb with stuffed rice — wedding centerpiece) anchor the canon. Klaicha (date-stuffed cookies) at Eid; Zlabia (Iraqi funnel-cake-like syrup pastry) at Ramadan; Tepsi Baytinijan (eggplant-tomato-lamb casserole) for weeknights.