Point to a menu item or food photo, then confirm the dish, number of portions and price before ordering. You can try a translation app. Ask your hotel or guide to help with unfamiliar words rather than assuming staff speak English.
These names can help you choose:
- Masgouf, مسكوف, is fish grilled beside an open fire. It is also served in the Kurdistan Region, not only elsewhere in Iraq.
- Quzi, قوزي, is slow-cooked lamb over spiced rice with nuts and raisins.
- Erbil kebab, كباب أربيل, is charcoal-grilled minced lamb in the cited restaurant's version. Confirm the meat locally.
- Kubba, كبة, varies by region. Mosul kubba is a wide, flat disc; other Iraqi versions use rice or bulgur shells and may be boiled in broth rather than fried. Ask which version the kitchen serves.
Kurdish cooking also draws on chicken, rice, bread, fresh herbs and vegetables. These foods are not exclusive to the region. Recipes and availability differ between restaurants.
For an allergy, consider a written card translated into the language used locally and checked by a fluent speaker. Show it to staff and ask them to check with the kitchen. Verify ingredients, sauces and cross-contact from shared equipment. A dish name or photo does not guarantee allergy safety. If staff cannot confirm that an item meets your needs, do not order it.
Sources: KRG food guide, archived, Kabab Erbil dish guide, FARE dining advice.
Checked on 2026-10-26.