Guides
A Content Creator's Guide to Filming Iraqi Food Accurately
Kabab Erbil · October 5, 2026
Kabab Erbil · October 5, 2026
Iraqi food films well because so much of it happens at the fire and at the table: a whole masgouf standing beside the flames, kebab over charcoal, broth poured over bread, syrup running over hot kahi. The details are easy to get wrong, though. Here is what to film, and the facts and names to get right.
| Common mistake | What is accurate |
|---|---|
| "Masgouf is grilled over the fire" | It is cooked beside a wood fire, upright, by radiant heat — never over gas |
| "Masgouf takes hours" | At Kabab Erbil it takes about an hour |
| "Quzi and ouzi are the same" | Different dishes — quzi vs ouzi |
| "Kubba is Lebanese kibbeh" | Same family, different shells — types of Iraqi kubba |
| Giving Iraqi rice dishes names from other cuisines | Iraqi rice dishes are quzi, maqluba and timman w marag |
Masgouf is said with a hard g; quzi, kubba, tashreeb, patcha and geymar all have several spellings. Use one consistently and put the Arabic in your caption — our Iraqi spelling guide lists every version.
Masgouf is Iraq's national dish, a method as much as a recipe — six signs of real masgouf is the short version. Our own family's masgouf was featured by Emarat Al Youm in September 2026.
Please ask the branch before you film, especially at the fire or in the kitchen, so the team can make it safe and show you the best moment.
The 1 Billion Followers Summit, the UAE Government Media Office's gathering for content creators, returns to Dubai on 8–10 January 2027. Kabab Erbil is not connected to the summit.
When it is standing at the fire — call the branch to ask when one is on.
Kahi and geymar: one plate, one pour, one bite — how Iraqis eat it.