Iraq National Dish MASGOUF! Iraqi Feast in BAGHDAD!
🇮🇶 BIL WEEKEND: / bilweekend | bilweekend.com/
🧳 TASOS: / agreeksolo
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With another full day in Baghdad ahead of me, I set out to try the national dish of Iraq, masgouf! It’s an amazing carp dish that’s extremely popular throughout the country. I can’t wait to show it to you!
Joining me were my friends Jafar and Ali from Bil Weekend, as well as my travel buddy Tasos from A Greek Solo. First, we’d be seeing how they make masgouf. They roast the carp on vertical stakes around a giant fire pit!
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But first, you choose a live fish, and then they kill and butcher it. After that, they roast it around the fire and then continue cooking it on the embers. I picked a fish and watched them make incisions in it. While they roasted it, I headed into the kitchen to see them making bread in the tanoor oven.
In another part of the kitchen, they were cutting up and grinding some fresh beef and lamb. They serve the fish on colorful woven platters lined with aluminum foil. Then, they add pickles, olives, onions, the bread, and then the fish on top.
Finally, we headed into the restaurant to eat. You take a bit of the khubz tannour and grab a bit of the fish. Then, you can add some amba (mango pickle), tomato, basil, and onion to make a nice sandwich. The fish was so buttery and smoky, and the bread has a nice, crisp texture! You just have to be careful of the bones!
I was surprised that the national dish of Iraq is fish, because the country only has one port, but I’d forgotten that they also have the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which are teeming with fish!
The timman il-ahmar was a red rice with tomato paste, and the baytinijan was nice and tomato-rich. I also loved the jajik, which is a yogurt dish with cucumbers. I thought it was fantastic but Tasos thought it needed more herbs and vinegar. I was enjoying mixing everything. Next was some smoked leben (a smoked yogurt drink) to cleanse my palate! This one was unique and quite watery. Then, we ended with some dates, shisha, and chai! The chai was hot but smooth. I loved the cardamom!
From there, we drove to Al Khassaki, the biggest sweets shop in Iraq! They have everything from baklava to konafa (the local spelling of knafeh), and lots of unique items as well. They have roughly a dozen varieties of baqlawa (baklava) in different shapes, as well as borma, cakes, and jalebi with crushed pistachios on top. The jalebi was crispy and decadent, and I loved the pistachios!
Next was a triangle-shaped baklava, which contained pure pistachios and was very soft. They also had lots of cookies and tarts, including a delicious orange jam cookie and an amazing caramel pistachio cookie.
Then, I had some coarse konafa with cream. I loved the crispy layers on top, the pistachios, and the soft, creamy cheese inside. It was very sweet and decadent! The qaymariat was the best, though! It was crunchy, crispy, full of layers, and creamy!
They make lots of traditional desserts as well as some with their own unique twist. Finally, I tried their baqlawa with honey. The layers were fastastic!
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My name is David Hoffmann. Since starting David’s Been Here in 2008, I have traveled to over 1,300 destinations in 94 countries to experience and document unique cultures on my KZread channel, travel blog, and social media.
I highlight culture and historical sites, but my passion is food! I love to experience and showcase the different flavors each destination has to offer, from casual street food to gourmet restaurant dining.
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Пікірлер: 109
From experience. Iraqis are the nicest and most respectful and generous people in the world. If you befriend an Iraqi, you’re a friend forever. Very charming and interesting country with 7000 years of history. They just don’t like to feel insulted or humiliated. So watch out and avoid politics as much as possible. Even when invited to give an opinion, pretend ignorance and refrain from discussing politics. This advice is good for any country anyways.
Iraqis been eating this dish for thousands of years since the Sumerians days, nothing like the Tigris and Euphrates fish, I miss it 😭
@Mochi-re8cv
8 ай бұрын
😭😭😭😭
@_J_U_N_U_O_R_
2 ай бұрын
They were living for thousands of years?!
@SindyJB
2 ай бұрын
@@_J_U_N_U_O_R_ haha funny
Masgouf looks so fresh and amazing! Really loving the food in Iraq .Outdoor grill cooking all that carp . Nice they have few areas to get different fish. Never really had carp . Could have but ate bass and crappie instead. Awesome roast pit. Now, desserts. You had me at Pistachio !! I'm addict to them so love .And this store would never leave lol. Its nice to look at and sample a few really wish could just eat lol. Just a bite or 2 now days .My body isn't handling sugar much.. So very small amount but man! Yummo. Love seeing Tasos enjoy also onward to next journey love Iraq ♥
Interesting way they do the fish roasting..never seen it before.....the beautiful basket of foods...shisha ....chai.....and last but not the wide variety of sweets...so much seen in this video...just Amazing. As always Thanks David and Tasos and safe travels till the next one. Blessings.
David thanks for being so amazing and accepting towards other cultures, everyone should be learning about other cultures. Enjoy your journey in Iraq, one of the most beautiful countries
David I tasted every bite you took of the crunchy cream filled sweets. Thoroughly enjoyed your video especially the sweets
Oh wow the sweets shop is just smacking 😍 the baklava looks so awesome, all the desserts look heavenly.
@crabmusic1
Жыл бұрын
But one of these days somebody has to go in a shop where they sell sweets and they have halava. It comes marbled chocolate covered and plain the plane is awesome and that's my favorite but I can't have it around too long because I want to eat it all. It is made with tahini and other wonderful things. It is sold in most of the Arabic countries and there is a store in Jerusalem that sells nothing but halava from floor to ceiling every flavor you could think of and the pistachio one is very good. Sometimes in supermarkets here in America they sell it by the name of a joya but it is not truly the treat much too phony testing so never buy it. Peace and happiness 🇺🇸☮️
Dude super amazing video of my magnificent home country Iraq🇮🇶 Iraq no. 1 no doubt about that👌 enjoy bro
@Davidsbeenhere
Жыл бұрын
THANK YOU So much HDRN! 1000 Blessings of Wellness to you. Iraq is amazing I agree...and the food is SO GOOD!
A very good morning David love all this food n trip .Thanks for sharing your amaziing travels
@Davidsbeenhere
Жыл бұрын
Thank you Donna! ❤
I love to see Tasos working with you! He seems like such a great guy.
@UnseenVoices
Жыл бұрын
Thank you Beth!
David habibi you’re one of the very few Americans (traveler) who I have tremendous respect for because of your unbiased and open minded reporting of travel & food in Middle East. I’m an Armenian American who was born in Middle East and grew up around Arabs. I love a ton of things in the Arabic culture and really enjoy watching your videos exposing smaller less known countries fairly. Well done bro, applaud your courage to go to Iran and Iraq. You rock!
@crabmusic1
Жыл бұрын
Blessings to all of them to see that Palace and with the Germans did by taking the front of it brick by brick and I don't know if that's the original they got back or they reiterated the way the palace looked so many centuries ago I think that is fascinating and it's so beautiful thanks to David for giving us a history lesson blessings to all and peace 🇺🇸☮️
@Mochi-re8cv
8 ай бұрын
Brother or sister Iran /Iran is not teh same they are 2 different countries
@sophies.9907
8 ай бұрын
@@Mochi-re8cv huh? Iran & Iran as you wrote above are the same country. Iran and Iraq are different and I know they are, so I don’t understand what your comment is about.
@Mochi-re8cv
8 ай бұрын
@@sophies.9907 lol sorry I meant Iran and irak 😭
@abhi739
3 ай бұрын
ur mindset is very weak and fragile
You really are one of the kindest travelers I’ve seen on KZread, love and greeting to wherever you are now !
@Davidsbeenhere
10 ай бұрын
Wishing you peace and 10,000 blessings as well Araabubakir!
All this head wear looks great on you David . Thank you for all these amazing videos n brining the world to us . My husband n I have been glued to the TV watching 🙏 Your life is truly a profound experience. Blessings to u n your family 🙏 Amrita Queens New York
العراق الله أكبر شكرا ❤️🇮🇶❤️ 👍👍👍😊😊😊🥰🥰🥰 ✨😋✨🇮🇶✨
Hi. I think it's the best national dish in the world. All healthy.
Bon voyage. Very good. Nice taste ☺️✌
Good morning David. Another good one. I am actually enjoying seeing the foods of Iraq. There is nothing complicated about it. So fresh and well prepared. The way they cleaned the fish and roasted it in that roasting pit is something I have never seen before. Can you imagine doing a mini version of that in your backyard? Now onto the sweets: it's sugar heaven. How do you choose? I tried one for free at a Mediterranean take out restaurant here in Toronto and it was s-o-o-o sweet that I really couldn't eat it. It's a diabetic's no-no. But those sweets, damn, they all looked so tempting. Where's the Garden of Eden at? "Lead us not into temptation" from the Lord's Prayer. Nice to see Tasos enjoying himself too. You got to stay away from that shisha. What are they putting in it anyway? David, you are doing yourself, your team and Iraq, and us proud. Keep it up. On to the next one. 🙏👼🇹🇹🇨🇦
DAROOD MUHAMMAD O ALAY MUHAMMAD I LOVE IRAQ HOLY COUNTRY NAJAF KARBALA KAZMAIN SAMARA VERY VERY HOLY PLACES AFTER MECCA MADINA I LOVE IRAQI PEOPLE ITS FOOD GOD BLESS IRAQ YOU ARE GREAT DAVID I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS ALWAYS SMILING ABUTURAB SHAH FROM AMERICA
my best bro david looking handsome a christian lady is died my heart is crying thank you for your huge respect against cpec friendship countries lot of love from your best bro viki 💙
I'm loving all so far. So amazing to see how things are made. Delicious food and awsome desserts..
CRAZY! 🔥 Those sweets had me 😂
really enjoyable video
Great video!
@Davidsbeenhere
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much Reid! Hope you are also doing great too!
mmmm when he ate the baklawa i wanted some
You have to enjoy as much as possible, you have to go to the ziggurat and Babylon
@Davidsbeenhere
Жыл бұрын
Went!!! Coming soon ❤
@user-um5iq5wf3i
Жыл бұрын
@@Davidsbeenhere You will be surprised at what the Babylonians did ✌🏾♥️
best vlog ever
What a exchange with ir aaqi crrency with American dollar please explain it, halawa shop was so good & good to look & eat
If it was my first time trying maskof then i would not put Amba on it b/c it will change the entire taste of the fish but still it is good . So I recommend to trying the fish first without anything so that you can taste the original flavor of it .
@farawla9465
Жыл бұрын
Exactlyyyyyy that’s what I was thinking. I love masgouffff
Correction jellabi is not India’s national sweet, it migrated from middle east n central asia to india along with Naan and non vegetarian dished during Mangoles n Afghan invasions.
A successful trip, but it made me long for Iraqi food, kunafa, baklava, and kahi😂
@Davidsbeenhere
Жыл бұрын
honestly I want all 3 things right now. That sounds delicious. And thank you so much for the support too!
@greenleaf8226
Жыл бұрын
Kunafah is not Iraqi food its eaten all over the middle east but is Palestinian... Baklawa is not Iraqi either its also eaten all over the middle east but is Turkish
@user-fy2xe5tn9j
Жыл бұрын
@@greenleaf8226 But Iraq is better than mastering it
@greenleaf8226
Жыл бұрын
@@user-fy2xe5tn9j what rubbish! only an iraqi will say they master it better... nothing is better than kanafeh nablusieh the origional from nablus... and the syrians and lebanese make the best baklawa, infact thers a syrian man who only makes baklawa per order for the arab gulf royal households...its the best i ever tasted, each baklawa piece melts in the mouth.
@mohammedadel514
Жыл бұрын
@@greenleaf8226 dude chill your opinion doesn’t matter no one asked you to like Iraqi food and which is which is a silly thing since you are not academically qualified to trace the roots about who first found the recipe
What is the name of the restaurant where you had the fish?
Unfortunely you didn't try znood alsit its the best sweet ever the only sweet that i can't resist you should try it next time you visit Iraq.
If you want good masgoof, go to Michigan.
Can some one tell me the restaurant name for the fish?
👍👍👍👍😋😋😋🌹
Woah.... Amba is Mango in marathi
I am sad because the media portrays a bad image of my country 🇮🇶
My moms mesgoof is the best.
Wow.. its sweet,amazing,hot and so good...what is the taste!!!!!
Lovely video, great food...but!... why do you keep saying Aiyrak...its prounounced Eerak. Everybody in the whole World and especialy the Irakis, pronounce it Eeerak. Also its not bakla"v"a, thats in Greece for their version of sweets...but its bakla"w"a in the Middle East, everyone around you is saying baklawa... its the same as if a person goes to the US and says shees humbooorger and frees!
You made me drop my saliva off 😅
Why I'm not first always. 😔
@JudyT868
Жыл бұрын
Oh you poor thing.
Did you got high from that thing you smoke?? 😳 🤣
@greenleaf8226
Жыл бұрын
why should he get high? thats such an old school silly comment.
That it’s is a dead one ..lol
I hope you safe brother, explosion in Iraq today
@Dddd.th.
Жыл бұрын
اين الانفجار من أين جاءا هذة الاخبار المزيفة ؟؟
I WANT YOU BUY A HOUSE IN IRAQ MARRY WITH A IRAQI GIRL ACCEPT SHIA ISLAM SPEND YOUR WHOLE LIFE IN IRAQ YOU WILL DEFINATELY GO TO HEAVEN ITS MY FAITH PLZ THINK ON IT
The pool is not clean 🤢
@ME-hp8vx
Жыл бұрын
Is your river cleaner?
@moosyx
Жыл бұрын
@@ME-hp8vx 🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮
@user-zl9ox4hi6n
Жыл бұрын
It's fish pool 😂 what did you expect
@moosyx
Жыл бұрын
@@user-zl9ox4hi6n 😁
The fish killing and preparing is really disgusting…
@DicerX
10 ай бұрын
Welcome to the world. That's how food is prepared. Are you ready to be a vegan now?
Masgof is not Iraqi, it's mangolian, after invading Baghdad the mangolians taught Iraqis how to cook fish.
@AL_Amael
Жыл бұрын
hhhhhhhh
@atheerbaghdady7849
11 ай бұрын
Masqof is Iraqi
@DicerX
10 ай бұрын
The preparation methods are found in Sumerian depictions of food they catch... That's 3000 years before the Mongols invaded.
@le_moktar
2 ай бұрын
You are wrong: Masgouf IS not only Iraqi, it is Sumerian.
You are a boastful small man
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭: 𝐌𝐚𝐳𝐠𝐨𝐮𝐟 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐂 𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐂, 𝐢𝐭 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐒
@le_moktar
2 ай бұрын
And even more FASCINATING: it is, in fact, an invention of the Sumerians; that is, the Mesopotamians from the third millennium BC.