Samoon
street foodVegetarian
About
Samoon is Iraq's iconic diamond-shaped flatbread with a crispy crust and soft, fluffy interior. Baked fresh in traditional wood-fired ovens multiple times daily, it's the bread of choice for breakfast, sandwiches, and accompanying every meal. Best eaten warm from the oven.
Key Ingredients
Wheat flour, water, salt, yeast, sometimes a touch of sugar
Cultural Significance
Samoon is synonymous with Iraqi daily life. The sight and smell of freshly baked samoon emerging from neighborhood bakeries is a cherished part of Iraqi culture. Families send children to buy warm samoon every morning for breakfast.
Where to Find
Found at nearly every bakery (khubzkhana) across Iraq. The best samoon is baked fresh multiple times per day in wood-fired ovens. Queue early in the morning for the freshest batches.
Recommended Places
- •Street bakeries throughout Iraq
- •Early morning bread shops
- •Local neighborhood bakeries
Fun Facts
The distinctive diamond shape of samoon is created by a special tool that presses the dough before baking. Iraqis can tell the quality of a bakery by its samoon - the perfect samoon should be crispy outside, pillowy inside, and have a slight char from the wood oven.
