Kurdish cuisine

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Kurdish Cuisine includes a wide variety of foods ranging from Kutilk, Berbesel, kellane, kullerenaske, dokliw (a thick soup), biryani, parêv Tobouli, kuki (meat and/or vegetable pies), birinç (white rice alone or with addition of meat and/or vegetables and herbs, and a diverse variety of salads, pastries, and drinks specific to different parts of Kurdistan, maqlooba, kofta, shifta, maraga. Spinach leaves with eggs, Wheat & Lentil soup, Beet & Meat soup, Sweet Turnip, Cardamon Cookies, Burgul Pilaf, melemen, ûr û rûvî, mehîr, yaprakh, chichma, tefti, niskene, nane niskan are also common food in Kurdish cuisine^[1]. Burgul (bulgur) used to be the staple food. Rice is becoming more popular. The Kurdish diet includes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Cucumbers are especially common. Kurdish cuisine uses many fresh herbs and vegetables, and lamb and chicken are the primary meats. Breakfast is typically flat bread with honey with delicious sheep or buffalo yoghurt, and a glass of black tea. Savoury dishes are usually served with rice or flat bread. Lamb and vegetables are simmered in a tomato sauce to make a delicate stew that is usually served with rice. In the spring and summer, salads and fresh herbs are often on the dinner table. Kurds also make many types of kofta and kubba, dumplings filled with meat. Black, sweetened tea is Kurdistan’s favourite drink.Also one of the very famous kurdish drinks is Mastaw, about two tablespoons of youghurt added to a cup of cold water, it's very ideal to drink Mastaw while eating Dolma or Yaprakh, most kurds add salt to this drink to make it taste better and the more youghurt you add the thicker the drink is and the sooner you fall asleep!.^[2]

[edit] During the festival of Nawroz

During the festival of Nawroz, Kurds enjoy picnics in the countryside, often taking a large pot of yaprakh. Also known throughout the Mediterranean as dolma, yaprakh is a dish of freshly picked vine leaves stuffed with rice, meat, herbs and garlic, and then simmered in a large pot.

[edit] Region

The Kurdistan Region has fertile soil and a hot summer climate ideal for growing grapes and orchards such as pomegranate, fig, and walnut. The Region’s honey has a clear light taste and is often sold with the honeycomb. Kurdistan also produces excellent sheep and buffalo dairy products. In the valleys where grapes are grown, raisins and grape jam are common.