Kurdish Food vs Iraqi Food: What Is the Difference?

Kurdish and Iraqi food share a table: both are built on rice with stews, bread, and lamb over charcoal. Kurdish cooking, from the mountains of northern Iraq, leans harder on yoghurt, fresh herbs and stuffed vegetables, and has its own kebab and tashreeb. Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, is where the two meet — and where our name comes from.

Where is Erbil, and why does it matter to the food?

Erbil is the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth — its citadel is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sitting between the Mesopotamian plain and the Zagros mountains, its kitchen draws on both: Iraqi rice and stews, Kurdish dairy and herbs.

What do Kurdish and Iraqi food have in common?

• Rice with a stew poured over it as the everyday meal — see timman w marag.
• Lamb over charcoal, and kebab minced by hand.
• Bread at every meal, and tashreeb — bread soaked in broth.
• Dolma, kubba and a table of shared plates.

What is different about Kurdish cooking?

Three things stand out. More yoghurt — as a drink, in sauces and beside grills. More fresh and wild herbs, from the mountains. And stuffed vegetables and vine leaves at the centre of the table rather than the side. Middle East Eye's five dishes to try in Erbil is a good taste of the city.

Which Kurdish and Erbil dishes are on our menu?

Kaka is Kurdish for "brother", used as a term of respect — the salad carries our founder's name. The seven kinds of tashreeb, Kurdish included, are in our tashreeb guide.

Is Kabab Erbil a Kurdish dish?

It is named after the city, and it is how Erbil grills: lamb minced by hand, pressed onto the skewer, cooked over charcoal. Erbil's kebab houses go back generations — Kurdistan24 profiles one in the citadel that has grilled for more than a century. Our version is on the Kabab Erbil page.

Common questions

Is Kurdish food spicy?

No more than Iraqi food: seasoned, herby and sour rather than hot.

Is Kurdish dolma different from Iraqi dolma?

The family is the same; recipes vary by household. We serve both an Iraqi dolma (AED 88) and an Erbil dolma (AED 79).

How is Kurdish food different from Lebanese or Syrian?

Much as Iraqi food is — rice and stews rather than a mezze culture. Iraqi vs Lebanese vs Syrian food explains it.