Kurdish cuisine ( or ) 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

Kurdish cuisine makes abundant use of fresh herbs and spices. Sweetened black tea is a very common drink, along with bitter strong coffee. Another favourite Kurdish drink is Mastaw (ماستاو]) or Ava Mast, which is yogurt and salt mixed with water. The fermented version of this is called Dô (Doogh). 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. Sawar (ساوەر), a traditional dish among Kurdish farmers, is made of wheat grain that is boiled, sun dried and pounded in a mortar (curn) to get rid of the husk. The wheat is then crushed in a mill (destarr). The resulting grain food can be boiled and served. Tepsî (تەپسی) is a dish of aubergines, green peppers, courgettes and potatoes in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. Teşrîb (تشریب) consists of layers of naan in a sauce of green pepper, tomato, onions and chillies.

Dishes and foods

Dairy products

Yoghurt, or mast, as it is called in Kurdish, is considered the most popular fermented dairy product in Kurdistan.

Rice Dishes

Stews

Bread

In Kurdistan, bread can be found in various forms. Their ingredients differ as well as their shapes, densities, and textures.

Stuffed vegetables

Stuffed vegetables are widely known as Pelpêç or Îprax (Sarma) or Pel (Dolma) in Kurdish regions. It is slowly simmered and they fill the house with an irresistible scent of fresh herbs, aromatics, and tangy lemons.

Meat dishes

As nomads and herders, lamb and chicken have been the main dishes of Kurdish cuisine for centuries. Some dishes include:

Dessert

Non-alcoholic beverages

Related cuisines