Heritage
What Iraqis Eat on Eid: The Iraqi Eid Table, Morning to Lunch
Kabab Erbil · September 30, 2026
Kabab Erbil · September 30, 2026
An Iraqi Eid begins sweet: kleicha, the date-filled cookies baked at home in the days before, and kahi with geymar at breakfast. Lunch is built around lamb on rice — quzi for a small table, a whole lamb for a big family — with dolma and kubba around it. Here is the Iraqi Eid table, meal by meal.
Kleicha. Iraq's national cookie — spiced dough wrapped around date paste, sometimes walnuts. Shafaq News describes families in Baghdad and Erbil baking it together before Eid al-Fitr, and exchanging plates with neighbours; Middle East Eye has a recipe. Kleicha is a home tradition; we don't bake it.
Kahi and geymar. The first breakfast after Ramadan in Baghdad is hot kahi with thick cream and syrup — how to eat kahi and geymar explains the ritual.
Lamb on rice. For a household, that means quzi — lamb slow-cooked until tender over spiced rice with nuts and raisins. For a large family, a whole lamb on a tray. Around it: dolma, kubba, salads and bread. Quzi is often confused with ouzi; quzi vs ouzi sets out the difference.
Eid al-Adha is the feast of sacrifice, and lamb is even more central: families who sacrifice share the meat with relatives, neighbours and those in need, and cook the rest. Eid al-Fitr, ending Ramadan, leans more on sweets and breakfast.
| Order | Price |
|---|---|
| Quzi lamb plate (serves 1–2) | AED 88 |
| Quarter lamb with rice, tray | AED 700 |
| Half lamb with rice, tray | AED 1250 |
| Whole lamb with rice, tray | AED 2500 |
| Dolma | AED 88 |
| Mixed kubba, large (13 pieces) | AED 110 |
A quzi plate serves one or two. For the trays, call the branch with your numbers and they will tell you which size fits and how much notice it needs. Details are on our catering page.
Early. Eid mornings are the busiest of the year, so call the branch a few days ahead for trays: Deira +971 4 272 0843, Sharjah +971 6 565 8255. For smaller orders, quzi and kubba can be ordered online.
Kleicha — date-filled, cardamom-scented and baked at home for Eid. The National's ode to the Eid cookie puts it beside its regional cousins.
No — it is on our menu every day. Eid is simply when every Iraqi table has one.