Cuisine of Iraq

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Contents 1 History 2 Cooking 3 References 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] History

Iraqi cuisine has many roots, one of which is tent cookery. Nomadic tribes could use only transportable foods such as bread and dates, or ambulatory stock like sheep and camels in their recipes - which tended to be rough sketches rather than strict formulae.

Iraqi cuisine is considered by Iraqis to be the greatest cuisine of the earth, and has changed and evolved since the time of the Babylonians, Sumerians and Assyrians. The cuisine has been influenced by those ancient civilizations, which also had influence from Greek and Persian cuisines. With the coming of Islam and Arabs, who gradually replaced the earlier peoples, the food was enhanced to combine old and new sets of tastes.

As Baghdad became the centre of the Islamic world, Muslims from all over (Africa, India, China, Indonesia, etc.) arrived in Iraq, which gave Iraq new twists to its food. As Iraqis traveled, trading absorbed Mediterranean flavors.

With the Ottoman rule of Iraq, influences of Turkish cuisine also became incorporated into Iraqi recipes.

[edit] Cooking

Iraq's main food crops include wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, and dates (of which Iraq is one of the world's largest producers)[1].

Vegetables include eggplant, okra, potatoes, and tomatoes. Beans such as chickpeas and lentils are also quite common.

Common meats in Iraqi cooking are lamb and beef; fish and poultry are also used.

Soups and stews are often prepared and served with rice and vegetables.

[edit] References

Iraq from Encyclopedia.com

[edit] See also

Arab cuisine Assyrian cuisine Kurdish cuisine

Muslim dietary laws

[edit] External links

• Delights from the Garden of Eden - A Cookbook and History of Iraqi Cuisine
  
• Wikibooks Cookbook: Cuisine of Iraq
  
• Iraqi Recipes
  
• My Iraqi Recipes
  
• "An Iraq of Lavish and Luxurious Dishes"