Heritage
Kahi and Geymar: How Iraqis Eat It, and Why It Means Eid Morning
Kabab Erbil · September 29, 2026
Kabab Erbil · September 29, 2026
Kahi is a thin, flaky Iraqi pastry served hot; geymar is the thick cream spread over it. At Kabab Erbil the kahi is baked in-house and finished with honey or date syrup, and in Iraq it is eaten with sweet black tea. It is Baghdad's classic breakfast — and, for many Iraqi families, the taste of Eid morning.
A pastry of many thin, buttery layers, baked until crisp outside and soft within. It is eaten hot, straight from the oven — which is why ours is baked in our own kitchen rather than bought in.
Geymar is a dense, spreadable cream, richer than anything sold as "cream" in a supermarket. Ours is made from cow's or buffalo milk, depending on supply, and comes from a specialist supplier.
Tear a piece of hot kahi, spread geymar on it thickly, and pour over honey or date syrup — the heat of the pastry softens the cream. Then a sip of sweet black tea to cut the richness, and repeat. It is eaten with the hands, and shared: one plate between two is normal.
In Baghdad, the first breakfast after Ramadan is kahi and geymar. Shafaq News reports that sellers in al-Kadhimiya start work at 3am on Eid morning because customers arrive from 4am, and families gather over the trays to exchange Eid greetings. It is eaten year-round, but on Eid it is the tradition.
Its origins are argued over, and we will not pretend to settle it. What is not argued is that Baghdad made kahi its own — TasteAtlas lists kahi and geymar as a traditional Iraqi breakfast.
| Dish | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Kahi & geymar | Hot kahi with geymar, honey or date syrup | AED 65 |
| Geymar & date molasses | Geymar with date molasses, for bread | AED 60 |
| Iraqi breakfast tray | A spread for the table | AED 235 |
The rest of the morning menu — eggs with pastirma, makhlama, bajila — is in our guide to Iraqi breakfast in Dubai. Bajila is a tashreeb of fava beans; the weekend's heavier option is patcha.
Both branches open at 09:00. You can also order kahi and geymar online — eat it as soon as it arrives, while the kahi is warm.
Close, but not the same — the difference is in the milk and the texture.
The pastry itself is not; the sweetness comes from the honey or date syrup poured over it.