A FOOD TRADITION

Assyrian Cuisine

Assyrian cuisine in Iraq reflects the foodways of communities historically concentrated in the north, including the Nineveh Plains and areas around Dohuk and Mosul. It shares a broader Upper Mesopotamian repertoire with neighboring Kurdish, Arab, Armenian, and Turkish traditions. Staples include wheat and bulgur, rice, lamb, poultry, yogurt, pulses, dried fruit, and fresh herbs. Characteristic methods include stuffing vegetables, simmering grains and legumes, baking flatbreads, and preparing festive meat-and-grain dishes. Examples commonly associated with Assyrian foodways include kubba, dolma, and hareesa-style wheat and meat preparations. The cuisine also exists across the Assyrian diaspora and is not an exclusive Iraqi invention.

Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.