View source for Assyrian cuisine

{{short description|Culinary traditions of the Assyrian people}}
[[Image:Assyriancusiene.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Typical Assyrian cuisine]]
{{Assyrian culture}}
'''Assyrian cuisine''' is the [[cuisine]] of the [[indigenous peoples|indigenous]] [[Assyrian people]], [[Eastern Aramaic]]-speaking [[Syriac Christians]] of [[Iraq]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/enemy-kitchen-michael-rakowitz-iraqi-food-mca-backstroke-of-the-west/Content?oid=31827463|title=Enemy Kitchen, a food truck and public art project, serves up hospitality in place of hostility|last=Levitt|first=Aimee|work=Chicago Reader|access-date=2018-03-21|language=en|archive-date=2018-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321192540/https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/enemy-kitchen-michael-rakowitz-iraqi-food-mca-backstroke-of-the-west/Content?oid=31827463|url-status=live}}</ref> northeastern [[Syria]], northwestern [[Iran]] and southeastern [[Turkey]]. Assyrian cuisine is primarily identical to [[Iraqi cuisine|Iraqi/Mesopotamian cuisine]], as well as being very similar to other [[Middle Eastern cuisine|Middle East]]ern and Caucasian cuisines, as well as [[Greek cuisine]], [[Levantine cuisine]], [[Turkish cuisine]], [[Iranian cuisine]], [[Palestinian cuisine]], and [[Armenian cuisine]], with most dishes being similar to the cuisines of the area in which those Assyrians live/originate from.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://mag.jewishinseattle.org/articles/2017/12/5/an-ancient-empire-gets-new-life-on-a-food-truck|title=An Ancient Empire Gets New Life — on a Food Truck|last=Mandel|first=Pam|date=2017-12-05|work=Jewish in Seattle Magazine|access-date=2018-03-21|archive-date=2019-06-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603115721/https://mag.jewishinseattle.org/articles/2017/12/5/an-ancient-empire-gets-new-life-on-a-food-truck|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is rich in grains such as barley, meat, tomato, herbs, spices, cheese, and potato as well as herbs, fermented dairy products, and pickles.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lj0CeaIIETkC |title=Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality, and Nutrition Professionals |editor-last=Edelstein |editor-first=Sari |publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning |year=2011 |isbn=978-0763759650 |location=Boston, Massachusetts |pages=545–552}}</ref>

==Lunch and dinner==
There is no difference to lunch and dinner to Assyrians as there are with some other cultures. They are referred to as ''kawitrā w kharamsha'', or ''ˁurāytā w ḥšāmtā'' (ܚܕܝܐ ܘ ܥܫܝܐ).  Lunch and dinner typically consist of [[basmati|basmati rice]], which can be prepared either plain, red (''smooqah''), yellow (shaootah), or plain with fried miniature [[noodles]] called ''sha'riya.'' Alternatively, there is also green rice (''reza qeena''), which is flavoured and seasoned with [[lima beans]] and [[dill]], which give it a green colour. In place of rice, ''gurgur'' ([[bulgur|burghul]] or "''perda''" in [[Assyrian Neo-Aramaic|Assyrian]]) can be prepared in the same way as rice. Beef and chicken ''[[kebab]]'', grilled on skewers or a spit, are also commonly eaten at mealtime.

''[[Biryani]]'' is an Assyrian rice dish with sha'riya made of green peas, fried cubed potatoes, almonds, raisins, sliced hard boiled eggs, and chicken. ''Rezza smooqah'' (red rice) is often made with chicken or meat. Rice is usually accompanied with a stew, called ''shirwah''(sometimes also called shorba), with a broth basis (prepared with tomato paste, water, and spices) and a main vegetable ingredient (potatoes, beans, [[okra]], [[string beans]], [[spinach]], [[cauliflower]], or [[zucchini]]). Beef, chicken, or ox tails can be added according to taste and availability. During Lent, meat is omitted for religious reasons. A traditional Assyrian salad is cubed tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and red onions made with a homemade dressing of lemon, vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Other various types of Assyrian special dishes include ''thlokheh'' ([[lentils]] cooked with [[curry]] and sha'riya), [[kofta]] (''kipteh'', ground beef [[meatballs]] flavored with parsley, rice, onion, and spices in a tomato based stew),<ref>{{cite book|title=Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality, and Nutrition Professionals|first=Sari|last=Edelstein|year= 2010| isbn= 9781449618117| page =594|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Publishers|quote=}}</ref> ''kuba hammouth'' (ground beef long meatballs with an outer cracked wheat shell, much similar to Syrian and Lebanese fried [[kibbeh]]), and girdo (or girdu) is a porridge made of rice and sour yoghurt, served with date or fig syrup.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Peggie Jacob. "Peggie's Mediterranean Cookbook" Morris Press</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.aina.org/ata/20170324121825.htm|title=Why You Should Eat Like the Ancient Assyrians Ate|last=Conway|first=Sarah|date=2017-03-24|website=Assyrian International News Agency (AINA)|access-date=2018-03-21|archive-date=2019-12-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223141148/http://www.aina.org/ata/20170324121825.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Other traditional Assyrian specialities include ''[[Tepsi Baytinijan|tepsi]]'' (a casserole made in layers of fried potato, fried eggplant, fried green peppers, fried onions, meat, and tomatoes drenched in a tomato sauce and baked in the oven, not unlike the [[Levantine cuisine|Levantine]] version of [[moussaka]]), ''shamakhshi'' (fried rolled eggplant stuffed with ground beef in tomato sauce), ''[[dolma]]'' (rice and tomato sauce stuffed in grape leaves, cabbage, various peppers, zucchini, and eggplant), ''[[masgouf]]'' (fish spiced with olive oil, salt, and turmeric, topped with tomatoes, potatoes, and onions, then oven-baked) and ''[[lahmacun]]'' (flatbread topped with ground beef, tomato paste, spices, and onions).

Sesame seeds are important to the cuisine and used to make tahini; an Assyrian folk tale tells of the gods drinking sesame wine on the night before they created the earth.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/why-sesame-is-an-incredible-ingredient-to-use-in-different-cuisines-1268381|title=Why Sesame is an Incredible Ingredient to Use in Different Cuisines|work=NDTV Food|access-date=2018-03-21|archive-date=2018-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321130420/https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/why-sesame-is-an-incredible-ingredient-to-use-in-different-cuisines-1268381|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Soups and stews ==
Boushala (or bushala'')'' is one of the oldest known dishes; it is a yoghurt-based soup with assorted greens such as Swiss chard or spinach and bulgur wheat.<ref name=":0" /> This soup can be served hot or cold.<ref name=":0" /> Dikhwah (or dokhwa) is a dried yoghurt-based heavy stew with barley and meat.<ref name=":1" />

Harissa (or hareesa) is a porridge made with hulled wheat berries, deboned chicken or beef, and broth, sometimes eaten with butter or cinnamon.<ref name=":0" />

Tashrib (or tashreeb) is a soup made of chickpeas, onions, and chicken or lamb meat, often served on top of bread at breakfast.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://flavorverse.com/traditional-iraqi-foods/|title=10 Iraqi Foods That Will Acquaint You to the Primitive Flavors of Mesopotamia|date=2018-01-06|work=Flavorverse|access-date=2018-03-21|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321193014/http://flavorverse.com/traditional-iraqi-foods/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=The Oxford Companion to Food|last=Davidson|first=Alan|publisher=Oxford|year=2014|isbn=978-0191040726|location=United Kingdom|pages=415}}</ref> Tashrib is similar to a Syrian dish called [[Fatteh|fatta]] and an Iraqi dish called tashghib. There are variations of the dish that may include more toppings like lentils, noodles, and pomegranate.<ref name=":2" />

[[Khash (dish)|Pacha]], similar to Armenian and Turkish dishes, is a heavy stew consisting of lamb stomach stuffed with rice, brain, tongue, liver, or offal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aaamodesto.org:80/Assyrian_Food12.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051218165440/http://www.aaamodesto.org/Assyrian_Food12.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2005-12-18|title=AAA of Modesto Assyrian Food (Patcha)|date=2005-12-18|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref>

==Desserts==
There are several different types of desserts such as cakes and cookies, which include ''[[baklava]]'', ''[[Kleicha|kulecheh]]'', ''[[Kadaif|kadeh]]'', ''nazoochi'', and others. Due to the influence from the post-[[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] occupation of Iraq and Syria by the [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[France|French]] many customs were picked up from the colonial administrators, and tea and biscuits are often eaten as snacks.

''Kadeh'' looks like a thick yellowish flat bread though it contains plenty of butter, eggs, and sugar which renders it a very sweet pastry. ''[[Kanafeh|Kadeh]]'' are usually prepared alongside ''kulecheh'' and are served during Christmas''.''<ref name=":0" /> ''Nazoochi'' is similar to ''kadeh'' but sweeter and cut into a triangle shape; it is served during tea time or during social events.<ref name=":0" />

== Beverages ==
Alcoholic beverages are consumed at different rates in the Assyrian community depending on geography.<ref name=":0" /> ''[[Arak (drink)|Arak]]'' is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages and can be distilled from grapes or dates.<ref name=":0" /> It is a strong alcohol so it is often served with food; it tastes like black liquorice and is clear until mixed with water, which then becomes milky-white. Assyrian rural communities have often traditionally brewed their own organic [[Wheat Beer|wheat beer]] and produced their own [[wine]].

[[Doogh|Daweh]] is a popular yogurt drink made with yogurt, water, salt, and sometimes mint. It is consumed during the summer when it is hot.<ref name=":0" />

[[Black tea]] is almost always drunk in the morning with Assyrian breakfast. Assyrian tea is drunk with sugar and evaporated milk, as opposed to regular milk or cream. [[Dried lime tea]], or ''chai noomi basra'', an Arab [[herbal tea]], may be consumed to treat upset stomachs and indigestion.

Traditional Assyrian coffee is made in a large bronze [[Cezve|jezve]] (which is covered with Assyrian imagery) and is served sweetened, similar to Turkish coffee.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://roadsandkingdoms.com/2014/just-dont-call-it-turkish-coffee/|title=Just Don't Call it Turkish Coffee - Roads & Kingdoms|date=2014-04-17|work=Roads & Kingdoms|access-date=2018-03-21|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321130956/http://roadsandkingdoms.com/2014/just-dont-call-it-turkish-coffee/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Turkish coffee]], which is a hold-over from Ottoman times, is often prepared the same way.

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Ash-e-doogh.jpg|[[Ash-e doogh|Bushala]]
File:Kibbeh3.jpg|Typical [[Kibbeh|kubba]]
File:Koofteh tabrizi.jpg|Kipteh
File:Okra stew in Turkey.jpg|Okra stew
File:Serupe1.jpg|Pacha
File:Armenian dish dolma 4.jpg|Dolma
File:Tepsi-Baytinijan.jpg|Tepsi
File:Dum Biryani Plate.jpg|Biryani
File:Moroccan Lentil Soup.jpg|Tlokheh (lentil soup)
File:Kubbeh Matfuniyah.jpg|Kouba stew
File:Iraqi Kleicha.jpg|[[Kleicha]]
File:Hareesaassyrian.jpg|Hareesa (wheat porridge)
File:Assyriandekhwa.jpg|Dekhwa (barley soup)
File:Yogurt and Rice aka Curd Rice.jpg|[[Curd rice|Gerdoo]]
File:Rice and beans.jpg|Green rice
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Arab cuisine]]
*[[Armenian cuisine]]
*[[Berber cuisine]]
*[[Jewish cuisine]]
*[[Kurdish cuisine]]
*[[Syrian cuisine]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051215081418/http://www.aaamodesto.org/Assyrian_Food1.htm AAA of Modesto – Assyrian Recipes] (archived 15 December 2005)

{{Assyrian topics}}
{{cuisine}}
{{Middle Eastern cuisine}}{{Mediterranean cuisine}}
[[Category:Assyrian cuisine| ]]
[[Category:Iraqi cuisine]]
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