Kurdish cuisine

Kurdish cuisine ({{langx|ckb| چێشتی کوردی|cheshti kurdi}} or {{langx|kmr|xwarina Kurdî}}) consists of a wide variety of foods prepared by the Kurdish people. There are cultural similarities of Kurds and their immediate neighbours in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Armenia.

Culinary customs

File:Xwarin-shingal1.jpg

File:Kurdish kulere.jpg

Kurdish cuisine makes abundant use of fresh herbs and spices.{{cite web |url=http://www.krg.org/articles/detail.asp?lngnr=12&smap=03014200&rnr=151&anr=18693 |title=Kurdistan's cuisine |publisher=Krg.org |date=2010-06-27 |access-date=2012-05-21 |archive-date=2014-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019144647/http://www.krg.org/articles/detail.asp?rnr=151&lngnr=12&smap=03014200&anr=18693 |url-status=dead }}

File:Traditional Kurdish bread, a crusty white loaf that is baked on a round hot iron.jpg

Sweetened black tea is a very common drink, along with bitter strong coffee. Another favourite Kurdish drink is {{lang|ku|Mastaw}} (ماستاو]) or {{lang|ku|Ava Mast}}, which is yogurt and salt mixed with water. The fermented version of this is called {{lang|ku|Dô}} (Doogh).{{cite web |url=http://www.krg.org/articles/detail.asp?rnr=151&lngnr=12&smap=03014200&anr=18693 |title=Kurdistan's cuisine |publisher=Krg.org |date=2010-06-27 |access-date=2012-05-21 |archive-date=2012-02-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218080035/http://www.krg.org/articles/detail.asp?lngnr=12&smap=03014200&rnr=151&anr=18693 |url-status=dead }}

Staples of Kurdish cuisine are Berbesel, Biryanî (بریانی), Dokliw (دۆکوڵیو), Kelane (کەلانە), Kulerenaske (ناسکە کولێرە), Kube (کوبە), Parêv Tobûlî, Kuki (meat or vegetable pies), Birinç (white rice (برنج) alone or with meat or vegetables and herbs), and a variety of salads, pastries, and drinks specific to different parts of Kurdistan. Other popular dishes are Makluba(مەقلوبە), kofta (کوفتە), shifta (شفتە), shilah/maraga, spinach with eggs, wheat & lentil soup, beet & meat soup, sweet turnip, cardamon cookies, burgul pilaf, mehîr, hûr û rûvî, pel (yaprakh) (یاپراخ), chichma this dish is common in Erbil (Hewlêr), tefti, niskene (نیسکێنە) and nane niskan.{{cite web|url=http://cuisinemiddleast.com/kurds.html |title=Middle East |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=2008-02-01 |access-date=2012-05-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201140648/http://cuisinemiddleast.com/kurds.html |archive-date=February 1, 2008 }}

{{lang|ku|Sawar}} (ساوەر), a traditional dish among Kurdish farmers, is made of wheat grain that is boiled, sun dried and pounded in a mortar ({{lang|ku|curn}}) to get rid of the husk. The wheat is then crushed in a mill ({{lang|ku|destarr}}). The resulting grain food can be boiled and served.{{cite web|url=https://www.saradistribution.com/sharistani.htm |title=The food that launched civilization |publisher=saradistribution.com |date=2012-05-05 |access-date=2012-05-21}}

{{lang|ku|Tepsî}} (تەپسی) is a dish of aubergines, green peppers, courgettes and potatoes in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. {{lang|ku|Teşrîb}} (تشریب) consists of layers of naan in a sauce of green pepper, tomato, onions and chillies.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/apr/07/features.weekend17 |title=Iraqi Kurdish, Life Style |publisher= Guardian.co.uk |date= 2007-04-07|access-date=2012-05-21 |location=London}}

File:Kurdish yogurt.jpg

Dishes and foods

= Dairy products =

Yoghurt, or mast, as it is called in Kurdish,{{cite web | url=https://bnk.institutkurde.org/images/pdf/ELV365WDGF.pdf | title=Kurdish-English dictionary | accessdate=30 July 2021 | archive-date=7 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007103354/https://bnk.institutkurde.org/images/pdf/ELV365WDGF.pdf | url-status=dead }} is considered the most popular fermented dairy product in Kurdistan.

Lorik, Kurdish cottage cheese
Jajî, or Van herbed cheese, popularly produced in the Kurdish villages in Van Province, Turkey

= Rice dishes =

Perde pelav
Biryanî
Birinca sor (red rice)
Birinc bi maş (mung beans and rice)

File:Parda plaw dish.jpg

= Stews =

File:Kurdish beans soup.jpg

= Bread =

File:Kurdish kelane.jpg

In Kurdistan, bread can be found in various forms. Their ingredients differ as well as their shapes, densities, and textures.{{cite web | url=http://cuisinemiddleast.com/kurds.html | title=Culture Tuesday: an Exploration of Kurdish Cuisine | date=21 January 2021 | accessdate=30 July 2021 | archive-date=1 February 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201140648/http://cuisinemiddleast.com/kurds.html | url-status=dead }}

File:Kurdish nan.jpg

= Stuffed vegetables =

Stuffed vegetables are widely known as pelpêç or îprax (sarma) or pel (dolma) {{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MnoNl7gf4k | title=Kurdische Spezialität | date=6 December 2020 | accessdate=30 July 2021}} in Kurdish regions.

Pel (dolma)
Pelpêç or îprax (yaprak or sarma)

= Meat =

As nomads and herders, lamb and chicken have been the main dishes of Kurdish cuisine for centuries.{{cite web | url=https://kurdishbike.com/book-club-resources/kurdish-meals/ | title=Kurdish Food | accessdate=28 July 2021}} Dishes with meat involved include:

Kutilk, also used in the following stews:
Tirşik
Kutildewk
Avşirînk
Putête çap
Kebab
Qelî, Kurdish stir-fry
Meqlûbî
Skewered meat (i.e. chicken, mutton, beef, etc.)

= Dessert =

Gilûl, cooked yoghurt and rice topped with a layer of date mollasses
Xebîse, brown cookies unique to the city of Amedi
Kade, ceremonial cookies usually with a date, walnut, or coconut filling
Arxavk, a paste made from flour and water which can be done savory or sweet
Kurds also use arxavk as a kade filling
Apple salad (chopped apples in mayonnaise) is a popular appetizer in Kurdish cuisine
Peqlave

= Non-alcoholic beverages =

Kurdish coffee ({{lang|ku|Qehweya kezwanê}} or {{lang|ku|Kafêya Kurdî}})
Çay
Dew or do
Also used in stews such as kutildewk
Avamast or mastaw
Raisin juice

File:Kurdish mastawe (dou).jpg

Related cuisines

References

Bibliography

Barzinji, Ala, Traditional Kurdish Food: An insight into Kurdish culinary heritage, 2015, {{ISBN|1784624144}}.
Sinjari, Emel, The Kurdish Cookbook, 2016, {{ASIN|B01LZ0DZ5I}}.
Zebari, Chiman, My Life, My Food, My Kurdistan, 2015, {{ASIN|B0793Q93R8}}.
Nikolovski, Goce, Taste of Kurdish Cuisine: Part 1, 2016, {{ASIN|B01LXXAEUQ}}.