Kleicha are Iraqi filled biscuits or small pastries, especially associated with Eid celebrations. Families bake large batches to eat and share with friends and neighbours. They go well with tea.
Two familiar versions are date kleicha, with date paste and cinnamon, and walnut kleicha, with walnuts, sugar and cardamom. Date versions can be rolled and sliced into spirals; walnut versions can be folded into half-moons. The dough can contain flour, yeast, butter, oil and cardamom, with an egg wash before baking.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, you may see the name kulicha. Kurdish family traditions also include date-filled discs and walnut half-moons. Names and family recipes vary; do not assume each region has one fixed recipe.
If you have allergies, ask the kitchen or baker about wheat, milk, eggs and walnuts, and about cross-contact. A date filling alone does not establish that a biscuit is nut-free or dairy-free.
Sources: Hungry Paprikas, Iraqi kleicha, Dalia's Table, Kurdish kulicha.
Checked on 2026-10-26.