Iraq is DANGEROUS for Food Lovers!! (Baghdad's Insane Street Food)

What's it like to eat Iraqi food in Baghdad for 24 hours?

Today we're exploring the backstreets of Baghdad to try the rarely seen Iraqi food

that locals love to eat.

Including this restaurant hidden in an alley, these amazing Iraqi street kebabs,

and so much more.

In this video, I want to find out what's it like traveling in Baghdad,

and what do Iraqis eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

And after we spend a full day eating, at the end of this video,

I'll tell you the surprising dish that was the highlight of the day.

Good morning from Baghdad, Iraq,

and we are starting this morning with one of the ultimate local breakfasts.

Ahmed, good morning.

>> Hi.

Good morning.

Where are we at this morning, man?

We are now at the Kahi Rasool to try the Kahi and Gaymar.

Okay.

>> Iraqi Kahi and Gaymar.

And this entire street is full of food, right?

Full of food, yes.

It's just 8:00 a.m. in the morning,

and this street is already bustling.

And the restaurant we're going to is just up ahead.

There's a crowd.

Oh, it is It's going to be packed.

So, yeah, we've come here to try a dish what's called Kahi and Gaymar.

And we're going to see

as they're making This is one of the most famous breakfast spots in all

of Baghdad.

Wow.

And first, I think we'll try to get inside to see the the Kahi.

So, this is the Kahi.

So, most people are here to eat their Kahi Gaymar,

and Kahi it begins with the Kahi.

Kahi is like this flaky bread.

The first step is he's slicing up that bread, which is so crispy,

and you can see all the paper-thin layers.

And then we're going to see what they do next.

And they all they hydrate it completely.

Okay, so the next step he takes the the freshly cut sliced kahi

and he drenches it completely soaks it in the syrup.

That's a sugar syrup.

Oh it's wet.

So then the kahi comes over to the gaymar station

and they have this pile of gaymar.

Gaymar is a buffalo cream

and he scoops on a piece a chunk of the gaymar onto the top

of the kahi and

then they sprinkle it with a crumbled pistachio.

And that's the dish why so many people are here for breakfast.

And they also have a few other variations as well.

One which looks like it's served within the samoon bread as well.

Here comes a fresh batch of the kahi right out of the oven.

But he's just nonstop slicing the kahi.

Look at how flaky and crispy it is.

It's just paper thin.

Wow.

Wow.

The breakfast rush here is it's intense.

And my man is here just chilling.

>> >> It's busy everyday?

Yes.

>> Everyday like this?

Busy?

Okay.

These guys are good.

These guys are so good.

They're just chill within this like insane crowd.

Thanks man.

Shukran.

Okay.

I'm ready to eat.

This that was intense.

Wow, what a what a situation.

What a breakfast situation in Baghdad.

So we're going to stand right here in the midst.

They have a variety of packed places where you can sit

but a lot of people just stand here

and eat it on the go.

There's also a table outside.

The energy here the intensity here is on another level.

All right Ahmed, what's the what's the game plan here?

So Look at the flaky kahi.

Yeah, it's so flaky, right?

So, you take a bit of the gamer

and you put Put it onto the the flaky pieces.

>> Yes.

Onto the kahi.

Okay.

So, you take a piece of the gamer.

Oh, that is thick and buttery, covered in pistachios.

Then you put it onto the onto the kahi.

Look at how flaky

and crispy the kahi is

and soaked drenched in the this syrup

and then you eat

that all together.

Okay, first bite of the legendary kahi gamer.

That combination of the creamy gamer with the flaky crispy kahi.

This is where the sweetness come.

And actually, it's not it's not too sweet.

I thought it would be more sweet when he drenches it in that syrup,

but it's not too sweet.

But they actually give you a a separate little container of extra syrup

that you can pour on yourself

as well.

The combination is unbelievable though.

Like all those crispy pastry layers drenched in that sugar syrup,

then with that extremely rich buttery buffalo cream

and just the fragrance of the pistachios.

How did you see the gamer?

Yeah, the gamer is amazing. >> the gamer alone.

All right, thank you, man.

Oh, wow.

The gamer is incredible.

It's like the thickest, richest buffalo cream you can imagine.

And I like how the gamer,

some parts are more buttery

and and thicker and other parts are more watery

or like runny,

runny, liquidy, like that. >> part, usually they put milk on it.

Oh, okay.

Okay.

>> So, it becomes watery.

>> So, you have that contrast of richnesses.

Okay, let's do another part.

Look at it just That's like pure It's It's solid.

Solid buffalo cream.

Take a piece of this.

Again, wrap it into the the kahi.

What a dish.

No wonder there's a a crowd of people here eating breakfast.

This is something special.

Something incredibly tasty.

It's very rich, too.

Very rich, very heavy.

That is unbelievable.

Breakfast number one today in Baghdad, that was incredible.

And we're going down the street to I think eat breakfast number two.

There's another dish we have to try.

>> >> This street, literally just everything you can imagine is happening all at one time.

>> >> The action and energy is unbelievable.

And we're stepping down this side lane here for the next breakfast dish

that Ahmed is taking us to.

So, down the alley is where you'll find a man who a restaurant

that specializes in Iraqi breakfast

as well.

And they have Iraqi omelets, which we have to try.

But then they also make a fava beans soaked with bread

and fava bean juice

as well that we'll try.

These Iraqi omelets look incredible.

He adds in some tomatoes, some minced meat, some potato.

Uh scorches that down in the in the heat of that pan.

Adds in a bunch of oil.

Lights it ignites it on fire.

Then he sprinkles on

that egg and makes it into a crispy Iraqi smoldering omelet.

That looks very tasty.

Oh, and that bread goes directly into the fava bean juice.

It's going to absorb and soak up all that fava bean broth.

Saturate with the fava bean.

That soaked bread is sliced into pieces.

Oh, and there are some fava beans on the bottom there.

It's scooped on top.

Oh, that steam.

That's fava bean steam room.

Hey, then a little bit of spice goes on top.

And the hot ghee goes on top.

But it's not over yet.

He's cracking in some eggs.

And then the eggs are fried on the side.

Look at the way that bubbles up.

It totally balloons up.

Oh, that's a properly deep fried omelet right there.

Oh, oh, it's a sponge of oil.

And that gets draped directly over to the soaked bread and fava beans.

All right, Ahmed, we're sitting down for This is breakfast number two now.

What do we have?

>> We have makhlama and baqilla.

Okay, should we start?

What should we Should we start with the What's it called?

The makhlama?

Makhlama.

Makhlama.

And that's like a unique Iraqi omelet.

Let's start with the bread.

You can see it's crispy, too.

And it's like chunky and crumbly.

And the egg is just holding all those ingredients together.

Mhm.

Mhm.

Mhm.

Taste it with a pickle.

Shukran.

Shukran.

Okay.

Always got to have tea as a must.

But he used a generous amount of oil while he was frying that.

So it's actually kind of juicy with the the oil,

but it also makes it crispy on the side, which makes it really tasty.

The tomatoes are scorched and the potatoes are scorching there with the minced meat.

And the egg just kind of holds it together.

Good.

Let's jump now to the baguila.

What did you call baguila?

Baguila.

Baguila.

Oh, it's just completely soaked and saturated that bread on the bottom.

Soaked in the fava bean juice.

You take some bread.

You put some egg >> top.

And you mix it all together.

So you get everything in one bite.

Okay.

So you reach down.

Oh, it feels nice in the fingers.

It's super hot, though.

>> Yeah, it's hot.

It's completely soaked.

Grab some of that egg.

Put that on top.

And then you want to for sure get some of those fava beans.

Wrap that up with the bread.

Mhm.

Mhm.

And then of course taste with a pickle.

To compliment the bite.

Some tomato.

>> And a chunk of tomato.

The way the bread has been soaked in that that fava bean juice.

It's completely Takes all the oil, yeah.

>> Mhm.

And so that makes the bread really soft.

Well, soggy, but in a good way.

And it just melts in your mouth.

And you even got the starchiness of the fava beans.

And that salty omelet,

which is like like has been just completely floating in oil

as it was cooked

as well.

Yeah, but the bread is so nice.

Yeah, squeeze me.

Mhm.

And I think it works well for breakfast too

because it just goes down

so easily and it's like warm

and comforting.

And so both of these breakfast dishes you can get commonly everywhere.

Throughout Baghdad.

It's common for breakfast along with the lentil soup.

Okay.

Along with the dish that we ate yesterday, basturma.

Yes.

Okay, cool.

So it's a variety.

So each day you have a something.

These are excellent dishes.

I like both of them actually.

I love this the action here.

This one for you?

Oh man, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Oh, a bite made by Mr.

Ahmed himself.

And then can't have a meal without Iraqi tea.

That's a nice strong cup of tea, too.

Always strong.

Always warming.

And it goes with every meal.

Okay.

We've had some incredible Iraqi breakfast today already

and this is just the start of the day.

We have a lot more amazing food coming up.

>> >> So before we go to our next meal,

we're just stopping by the Martyrs Monument in Baghdad.

It's one of the most iconic landmarks, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.

It is a dome covered in turquoise paneling,

which is then has been cut in half.

So, there's two sides of the dome,

and it was completed in in 1983 during the Iran-Iraq War,

but now has come to symbolize all martyrs in Iraq.

And it's on the east bank of the Tigris River.

It is a massive 190-m circular platform in the center of it,

and the dome is 40 m high,

and it's covered in thousands of turquoise ceramic tiles.

Here, unfortunately, they're closed for 2 years maintenance,

so we can just see it from a view,

but inside there's a museum on the bottom,

and then there's a flame with the Iraqi flag.

So, it really has become a a symbol of Iraq and Baghdad.

And even though the conditions are not the greatest today, we can't go inside,

it's still beautiful to look at from the outside.

So, this entire area is called Kadhimiyah.

It's famous for the shrine,

but then there's an entire bazaar

that surrounds it with shopping for pretty much everything you can imagine again from

clothes to fashion and jewelry,

um and of course, lots of food.

So, there's street food stalls all over,

uh and we are heading to a very famous restaurant

that serves traditional Iraqi dishes

and all the stews deep within the bazaar.

Again, just another place just with overwhelming action

and energy and so many sights

and sounds.

Oh, and we go down this way in here.

So, we're just navigating our way down the narrow lanes

and looking for a place that's called Abu Hamza.

Okay, and we made it to the spot.

Oh, look at all the dishes ready to go.

So, we're going to do a little tour of all the different dishes.

This one is Oh, it looks like dried fruit.

And then this one that's the vegetable, like a spinach the stew.

Oh, I love that dish.

Then we have I want you.

Oh, lamb?

Chicken?

And then you have all the rice varieties as well.

Shukran.

Habibi.

So, so far being in Iraq,

this is one of my favorite styles of meals.

It's like home cooking, home-style Iraqi food.

All the different stews and dishes.

They serve up the rice

and then you can pretty much choose whichever dish you want

and get a mix of different dishes.

Oh, nice.

Okay.

So, we're getting our tray now.

Starting with some of the rice.

Okay, got to try a piece of the the lamb here.

Chicken goes on top.

And then separately on small plates, we're going to get some of the vegetables,

some of the different side dishes.

Oh, that's one of my favorite Iraqi dishes right there.

The vegetable.

Got to have the white beans as well.

Yes, for Ahmed.

Ahmed's favorite dish right there.

Yes.

And then we have to try this dish.

It's so unique.

I see.

Okay.

With the apricots.

That's just full of dried apricots.

Wow.

Wow, what a dish.

That's the food ready to go.

Yes.

Okay, shukran.

Oh, Ahmed stretching before the meal.

>> >> Okay, what a cool spot down the alley.

It's like deep within the bazaar surrounding Kadhimiya.

Where to start my Oh man, let's go for the chicken first.

You dig into the chicken.

You just tear Oh, look at how tender that is.

Okay.

You take with the rice.

Okay.

Should try some of that chicken.

Yeah, look at the way I'm just going to pick it up

and you can just Oh,

oh, you can shake it and the bones fall out.

Look how tender that is.

It is ultra Oh, it's juicy and ultra tender and steaming.

Okay.

Okay, some of the melting chicken, some of the rice.

Mhm.

Mhm.

Mhm.

Chicken is just melting in your mouth.

Like completely fall apart tender.

And the skin is amazing.

It's sweet barbecue or something like that.

And it stays moist because of that cooking process.

Like absorbing with its own fat.

Very good.

Then you try it with the soup.

So I'll go for keema.

All right.

We're going to go for some of the keema.

Keema and rice.

Put that into the rice.

Yeah.

Mhm.

Mhm.

Mhm.

Yeah, what is that keema made from?

Is it Is it It's the same keema,

but the difference I think >> chickpeas or is it lentils?

Yeah, chickpeas.

Chickpeas?

The one in Najaf, I think it's more thick.

>> Stickier.

>> Yeah, that's stickier. >> stickier and more thick.

So we had We had keema in Najaf,

which is a famous dish in in Najaf.

And it's like this sticky paste with chickpeas

and lamb that's been pounded down into a paste.

And so this is more saucy.

Not as sticky or heavy.

Kind of like a bean sauce almost or chickpea sauce with minced meat inside.

Let me help you with the >> I want to go for That's my

favorite one,

the sabzi.

And this time with the kidney beans in there.

Mhm.

Yeah, that's one of my favorite Iraqi dishes.

It's like sour from the from the dried limes.

Yeah, the spinach just melts in your mouth

because it's stewed down until it just the fibers have broken down

and so it just melts in your mouth

and then you got this one you have the the starchy kidney beans in

there as well.

Great.

Let's try the meat.

Let's go for the lamb next.

I'll try to debone it.

And according to the tradition,

you have to kind of just shake it and the bone will just collapse.

Oh, and the meat will just Oh, you can hear it rattling around.

Yeah, the bones just fall out.

Oh, it's tender and juicy.

Ooh.

Oh, yeah, that's hot.

Oh, that's hot.

For the lamb, should be with the white beans.

Okay.

So, you put the white beans with the lamb next bite.

Tender lamb absorbed with its own juice and flavoring with the white bean sauce.

Excellent.

Excellent.

I think we just lost power.

>> Yeah.

For a couple of seconds.

Okay.

Oh, it's back.

We're back back.

Mhm.

Oh, lamb is great.

I think now it's no mercy time for the chicken.

No, you can go all in to the chicken, man.

No mercy time.

This is the breast?

Okay.

The chicken you might try it with biryani rice.

Okay.

Oh, yeah.

The rice has a light spice to it as well.

Spices a lot of spices.

Like a real fragrant job.

Cinnamon or cardamom in there in that biryani rice.

And it's really fluffy, really light as well.

And it's really full of the the aromatic spices.

Mhm.

It's like perfumed with cardamom.

Okay, Ahmed, should we move in to try the the liver cut?

Well, >> Or later?

>> to tell you I don't like Oh, okay.

>> >> Afraid to tell you.

Okay, I'll try it.

Because uh it's sweet.

Uh-huh.

>> So, you enjoy it alone.

Okay, I'll try it.

I just had to try it cuz it's so interesting.

So, you got apricots, also looks like some raisins and things here kind of.

It's almost like a Oh, and full of cardamom as well.

And mixed with meat as well or just on its own?

It's fine.

You can mix with You can mix with meat, too.

Yes, but >> try it on its own.

Mhm.

Mhm.

The apricot pit.

Wow.

Yeah, it is really sweet.

But it's the natural sweetness of the apricot.

It's like jam.

Mhm.

It's almost like eating the savory dish with jam.

Well, it's like the apricots have been stewed down

so the dried apricots like they they've rehydrated.

They're just melting in your mouth.

I think it would be really good.

Like that's a huge amount of it.

But just a little bit garnishing with pieces of lamb

and rice could be really nice.

That's sweet, savory contrast.

Be careful with the pit.

There we go.

You'll find the pit as well.

Mhm.

Can I try some?

With the onion.

Mhm.

That's a nice combination.

Sweet, savory, meaty, oily with the jam of the the apricot.

Oh.

Again, just comfort food, nourishing, hearty, filling, very tasty.

I want to do ranking,

but unfortunately I cannot because both the three are in the same level.

A ranking.

You have to You have to rank it, man.

What's your What's your favorite dish?

>> They are all together.

They're all together?

Number one.

Actually, I think for this meal, I think I'm loving the the white beans.

This one.

The white beans are impressive here.

So, which one is better?

With the lamb or without the lamb?

With the lamb.

With the lamb.

>> Got to have the lamb, man.

Always.

Okay.

Oh, another fantastic meal,

and now we're just going to sit here and keep on eating.

And then after we finish this meal, we'll go visit the shrine.

Before that, we must have chai.

Oh, yes.

Absolutely.

You can never forget the chai.

Oh, man.

How many cups of chai do you normally drink per day?

Maybe 10 to 12. 10 to 12?

Yeah.

But that's normal.

That's the the typical like the hospitality, the culture, drinking tea.

And it just When you're here, you will definitely be drinking 10 to 20.

Yep.

Yes.

>> And again, all great meals need to be followed by chai.

Well, that's an extra strong cup.

Abu Hamza, all the friendly guys at Abu Hamza.

Number one.

Great food for your comfort Iraqi home-style food.

Next up, we right after lunch, after we ate,

we're visiting the shrine of Imam Musa al-Kadhim.

And it's a It's a busy area.

We were just uh no cameras allowed,

so we're just putting all the cameras away,

and now we're just going to visit quickly visit the shrine.

>> >> Wow.

Step inside.

It is beautiful.

And we have already visited two shrines of Imams,

Imam Ali and Imam Hussein in Najaf

and also in Zarqa

and so this is the shrine of Imam Qasim,

one of the 12 Imams of Shia Islam and he was the grandson,

the great grandson of Imam Hussein in Zarqa.

The gold domes.

Wow, again breathtaking.

So we're at the entrance now of the shrine mausoleum

and look at the chandeliers,

look at the mirror work and that golden entrance.

Wow, so we're just going to about to enter into the the shrine to

see the mausoleum.

>> >> Wow, and enter inside.

Again, the incredible mirror work, crystals and gold.

And no videos allowed

so I won't take videos inside of the actual shrine

but it is busy.

Lots of people.

And incredibly bright.

I just came out of the shrine,

paid our respect but it's packed in there today.

So many people and people reading scriptures, reciting scriptures.

Really is another special shrine and place in Iraq.

We're continuing with our Iraqi street food tour today

and after visiting the shrine we drove over to what is one of the

most famous places to try Iraqi style falafel

and I'm really excited to see how it's different from other versions of falafel

that I've tried in this region of the world.

So we're just jumping straight into the falafel action here.

He's making falafel non-stop by hand.

Combination of chickpeas.

Looks like it's a little bit green, maybe some parsley in there.

And then over here is the the frying eggplant,

which is a a must also.

Fried eggplant, that's an essential component as well.

Uh Thailand.

Batch of falafel is ready.

The Iraqi falafel is totally different from any other version of falafel I've eaten

in this region.

Uh not so much the actual falafel themselves,

but something I love about falafel is it's about the toppings.

It's about what you pair it with.

It's about how it's all combined together.

That's what uh every country has a different style of serving falafel,

which I think is so interesting.

Okay, shukran.

That's a fresh batch of falafel,

and we're going to follow him to the front where he's going to make

the sandwich immediately.

Oh, yeah.

Fresh falafel.

Few things better in life than fresh falafel.

Samoon bread, falafel.

He's going immediately.

Chips go in.

Fried eggplant.

Salad.

Okay.

And follow over to the sauce station,

which is one of the most important parts of a of an Iraqi falafel.

How about amba?

Yes.

Amba.

And sauce.

Amba.

Amba, please.

Yes, lots of amba.

This is the mango sauce, amba.

Yes.

Amba.

Amba.

Okay.

Hummus and tahini goes in.

Nice.

Okay.

Spicy, yes.

Oh, yes, please.

Spicy sauce goes in.

Okay.

Woah, that's heavy.

Shukran.

Wow.

This is huge.

It is and it weighs that is hefty, like a boat of a bread.

That's massive.

Oh, I can't wait to try it.

I've had falafel in many countries in this region of the world,

but right now Iraqi falafel wins for the size.

This is huge.

Actually, I think the strategy is to bite right here in the center.

So, you want you've got to get falafel on your first bite,

and then after that you can eat the nose.

Okay, here we go.

Let's go.

Oh, amba sauce up the nose.

Oh, that falafel is right out of the oil.

It's extremely crispy.

The falafel is made only from chickpeas and I think some parsley in there.

And it crumbles in your mouth.

Yeah, it's extremely crispy.

And I got that the sourness of that amba sauce, that mango sauce,

the creamy eggplant, and the fluffy samoon bread.

Oh, you just on first bite that was phenomenal.

This is a falafel sandwich you need to have a game plan.

There's some strategy to eating this.

It's a mission.

Oh, that's incredible.

That is amazing.

I think the falafel itself itself is fresh.

But then those toppings and those sauces really make it.

Okay, I'm going to pull off this nose of the bread.

I think I saw people just kind of pulling off this nose of the

bread.

Then you can then keep on eating the bread

or you can just kind of eat it more like a like a Subway

sandwich.

Now, I'm getting to that eggplant on the bottom there.

The eggplant has been fried.

Like the sweet sugars of the eggplant have come out.

It's really creamy.

You've got the fries in there as well.

Then again, those sauces are really what's taking it to the next level,

elevating it.

You literally need to put your entire fish into it.

So get a bite with everything all in one bite.

It is so good.

And I think it's largely due not just the falafel itself, but the toppings,

the combination, the amba sauce, the Iraqi samoon bread,

that all contributes to making it so tasty.

And one of these falafel sandwiches could feed an entire family.

It's so big.

It's huge.

Yeah, when you're in Baghdad, you have to try the falafel here.

Outstanding.

Next up, we have stopped at Baghdad's Tahrir Square.

This is the main, the biggest square.

It's considered the heart, the soul of Baghdad.

And whenever there's a protest or a rally, this is where it takes place.

But uh you can see behind me,

that is the monument that was built in 1961.

And it sort of tells the whole story of Iraq.

Uh different depictions, pictures of the history of Iraq

and the important parts of society in Iraq.

And so we're just stopping by here real fast on the way to the

next meal,

but just enjoying the the open space, the atmosphere,

and just the the iconic monument.

Welcome, you.

Thank you.

Hey.

I am from Iraq.

You Iraq.

You Baghdad.

>> Thank you.

Thank you.

>> >> We're at the next spot now.

Next meal will be kebab.

So we have the meat kebab there.

Okay, that's the minced meat.

And this is tikka.

It's cubic meat.

And this is the the fat.

Then we have the liver.

Yes.

Then we have full shisha fat.

Only fat.

Yes, okay.

Then we have chicken tikka and the heart.

Okay.

And look at this cabinet of meat.

And it's all lamb, right?

It's all lamb.

Okay.

I'm inside this stall now and it's like you're in this capsule,

this lamb capsule, the fresh aroma of the lamb meat.

But that is fresh.

That is as fresh as possible.

I love the display,

all the the hanging parts of the lamb with parsley hanging up there preparing

a lot of kebabs too

because we're here I think right before the the dinner rush.

Soon it's going to get busier and busier.

Check out the all the lamb parts.

This is like the back leg I think.

You have the whole throat section with the esophagus and the lungs I think.

And then you have the Oh yeah,

the back leg and I believe the testicle.

And you can see with Iraqi kebabs,

it's always a really fatty mixture so that you can see see that color.

It's almost the white kebabs.

White in color from the fat, the high fat ratio.

And that's going to equal a lot of flavor.

Okay, so we're making our order now.

Okay.

So we got a mix of different the kebabs with the meat.

You just choose whatever you want

and this is goes directly over to the grill.

And the grill section over here.

Okay, they're going on.

The kebabs are on.

That's a furnace.

He's fanning that flame.

It's so hot.

All the fat is starting to get hits out.

They're starting to crackle.

Yeah, the kebabs are just like the oils,

the fat of the lamb is oozing out and it's crispifying.

I love the Iraqi kebabs.

There's so much fat content and they just hiss and scorch and crispify,

and then all the meat is going on as well.

Oh, it's filling up.

The grill is filling up.

Look at that heat that amount of heat coming off of it.

The pieces of meat.

Oh, look at that sizzle.

Okay, ready?

The parsley goes down.

And the kebabs go on.

Shukran.

Oh, here's our kebab tray covered with samoon bread to keep it warm under

the blanket and the kebabs underneath.

Iraqi kebab time.

Confusing words to start.

Yes, let's actually kick the bread off cuz you have to reveal you got

to see you have to see the kebabs

that we got in the full tray.

So, we have the liver?

Oh, yes.

We have kebab, and we have tikka.

Tikka are the cubes of meat?

>> fat.

>> And the fat.

Yes, and I love in Iraq how they display it with parsley,

with charred tomatoes and onions all on a tray served with samoon bread.

Maybe you start from the right?

Yeah, sure.

>> With the liver?

>> With the liver?

Okay.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, you can feel the the juiciness of it.

It's so pure.

A little bit of salt.

But no seasoning, just a pure sweet flavor of the liver.

Yeah, it's great.

Really good.

>> Let me jump It's chewy.

All that meat is amazing.

It is fresh.

It's tender, too.

Oh, and they cook it on such a hot fire,

so it really scorches through the meat.

You know, it chars on the outside, keeping it juicy on the inside.

All right.

>> Now, kebab time. >> kebab time.

So >> For kebabs, we need to go in with the bread, right?

The samoon.

Go for samoon.

You open it like this.

Oh, so you can use

that whole like nose of the samoon to You open it >> a pocket,

right?

Yeah.

Put the parsley inside.

>> Some vegetables, if you like onions.

The charred tomato goes in.

Here you are.

Okay.

Oh, man.

Thank you.

Okay.

Mhm.

That mix that ratio of fat to meat, like it's so fatty,

it's crumbly and so juicy.

And yet when it's scorched on that fire, the outer fat crispifies,

so it's crispy and soft at the same time.

You have also the you know the sumac. >> yes.

Giving it a little bit of acidity, right?

Mhm.

Maybe try it with a I forgot the pickles.

Try it with a pickle.

Mhm.

And with the samoon bread,

it just kind of absorbs all that fat cuz it's so fluffy and pillowy.

The acidity of the of the sumac as well.

And then just that juice of the tomato is phenomenal.

Yeah, the quality of the meat, the freshness of the meat,

and just the the fastness

and the speed and the heat of

that fire gives it

so much flavor.

All right, Ahmed.

What's next?

Next is a tikka sandwich.

Every bite is a a perfect combination of meat, bread, and vegetables.

Oh, with a hunk of fat.

Oh.

Oh, Ahmed.

Breaking the fat.

You can see it liquefying.

This is With the onion.

Oh, the juiciness of the tomato.

Thank you.

That's a bite right there.

Okay, another one.

But this one comes with a fat already.

Okay.

Tomato, onion, some veggies.

Here we go for the full tikka version.

Mhm.

Mhm.

Mhm.

Oh, the fat.

The pure taste of the lamb.

Again, like I love it with that fluffy shamoon bread.

And then the fat just melts in your mouth and it's so flavorful.

My fat now is just coming.

Your fat is just now coming?

You got to try that fat.

Mhm.

So jiggly.

Yeah, exactly.

>> >> I was looking for the word.

It wiggles around in your mouth as you take a bite.

Mhm.

The smokiness.

Really good.

Going in for more kebab.

Kebab?

Yes.

Okay.

Grab the kebab.

Into the Into the blanket.

Tomato goes on.

Go for a piece of the charred onion and a few sprigs of parsley.

I went for Oh, yeah.

Oh, you got a nice combination there, too.

The liver combo?

Liver with tomato.

>> Every bite is a different combination.

Incredible.

So tasty.

I really love a the Iraqi kebab, the masters of the grill.

Masters of kebab.

And not only just the kebab and the the grilled meat,

but the the combination bites with all the charred vegetables, with the parsley,

that like elevates it.

So, kebab is 24 hours a day?

24 hours.

Anytime you want?

>> You can eat anytime.

>> There's no No no limitation.

>> No standard No limitations.

Yes.

Whenever you want kebab, 24 hours a day in Baghdad, you can eat kebab.

And be happy.

Another meal, another tea.

You really will have like 10

or 20 cups of tea every day

when you're in Baghdad.

That was a fan Another fantastic meal.

Uh, we're on a roll today.

We've had some incredible food.

Uh, but wait till you see what's coming next.

Oh, we made it to the next spot on our food tour today,

and we're going to eat a dish that's called pacha.

Here's the spot.

Oh, yes, with a thumbs up.

This place is It's for the pacha, which is the head,

and I think they're sheep heads as well as mumbar.

Look at this mountain of mumbar, which are the the intestines stuffed with rice,

I believe.

Yeah, that is a fresh batch of mumbar.

And this place just has massive jacuzzis going, boiling sheep heads, mumbar,

all the organs are going.

Yeah, they have some huge pots steaming, boiling sheep jacuzzis.

That goes into the lamb head, all the onions, green peppers, and salt.

Here's a full tray, bread on the bottom, sheep heads on top.

Brains, tongue, there's some of the hoof on here as well.

Okay, so once the tray is made with bread,

with all the head on top,

then it's going to get hydrated with the broth.

Look at how yellow that broth is, I think from the melted fat.

Okay.

Oh, and that broth, it gets showered onto the onto the head.

Oh, it's totally saturated.

Look at the amount of steam.

Pure animal fat.

Look at the yellow lamb fat.

All fully fully completely hydrated.

It's flooded in lamb juice.

Oh man, that technique is absolutely amazing.

They have the jacuzzi of lamb broth and fat,

and they just flood out your plate of bread.

That entire jacuzzi pot is just designed to flood out the bread

and flood out the head.

So it saturates with that lamb broth and lamb fat.

Wow.

Tongues and organs bobbing around in here.

So it starts with bread.

It's hand ripped onto your plate.

Forming a nice base layer, and then that moves over to the head section.

Where he's going to load it up with half a sheep head goes on

top.

Oh, that's really convenient because everything is the whole head is taken apart.

Just the top of the head is there,

but then all the components are deboned and ready to go,

including the brain as well.

He's adding in some brain as well. tongue And the tongue.

Look at that tongue.

It's so tender.

It all goes on top of the bread.

Oh, even a few of the other organs like the stomach the hoof,

they all go on.

Okay, nice.

That moves over to the jacuzzi.

Where it's going to go through the next treatment.

Just gets flooded out in the broth and the lamb fat, showered, completely soaked.

Oh, then they take the fried mumbar, it goes on top.

Oh, what a move.

You can hear that hiss.

Okay.

And it's just going to be drained a little bit.

Oh, that is impressive.

Ready.

Oh, that is unbelievable.

I didn't know he was going to put the fried mumbar on top of

the head.

What a move.

Let's try it.

Okay, Ahmed has tapped out for the day.

So, I'm on my own for this one.

That's a heavy tray.

What I really like about it is

that normally you get

when you when you get a whole

when you eat sheep head,

they often just give you the sheep head

and you have to work dig yourself out all the different components

and different pieces.

But here it's like all parted out for you.

Uh so, you basically it's very convenient to eat.

All that he had all the tongue, he had all the brains, everything.

And yet they still serve you the Let's see

if we can reach it out here.

They just give you the head, but it's all components have already come out,

so you just got the cheek on the head.

But anyway, I think we should first dig down for that bread.

That's soaked bread.

That is insanely hot.

Oh, that's finger burning hot.

Just try that soaked bread.

Okay, but actually I can't just try the bread.

I want to go in for that head.

Let's go in for that cheek right there.

That cheek section.

Oh, that's hot.

Oh, that's melting here.

It's just melting in your fingers.

Oh, look at that texture.

Pacha.

It's very sheepy tasting.

And very pure.

Oily, really heavy and rich, but really tasty.

As soon as you bite down and taste that flavor on your tongue,

there's nothing it else it could be but sheep.

It's like you can taste the pastures, you can taste the naturalness,

the meatiness of it.

And immediately you taste the the oiliness of it as well.

The richness.

And that's also why there's all these pickles plus onions.

And also I think what you're supposed to actually do is squeeze on the

the lemon orange to contrast the richness.

Okay, but before we do that, let's try the mumbar.

It's intestines, the intestines stuffed with rice and spices.

And they go the extra mile after boiling it, they deep fry it.

Walk right out of the oil.

Kind of flaming hot.

The intestines are completely crispy.

It's like a rice intestine sausage.

Except the entire casing is completely crispy, and inside is rice.

And kind of this loose mixture with just this hint of spice,

but not overpowering or anything.

It's more like a rice rice encased in intestines, crispy intestines.

I've always loved mumbar.

It's a great use of intestines,

but that does need to be chased by a pickle.

And a slice of onion.

Got to help that that fattiness to go down.

All right, let's squeeze it with the the orange lemon.

And I'm going to rotate over to the next part of the head.

Let me squeeze on some of the lemon orange.

And this is the tongue.

Look at that tongue meat.

It's just falling apart tender.

You can see the shredded texture of it as well.

Get some of that with some of that extremely hot bread down there.

Tongue is ultra tender.

Requires zero chewing.

Just let it kind of slide around in your mouth with

that saturated soaked bread.

Okay, I'm going to I think I'm just going to rotate it around

and try all the different components.

And next up we have more lots of tongue.

Then we have big pieces of the um the stomach as well.

That looks like it's nicely cleaned.

Oh, and the hoof is down here, too.

Oh, that's the hoof.

Okay, we'll come back for the hoof.

First for the the stomach.

It's a really clean tasting, like they really they really wash it well.

It's not a strong not like a gamey taste.

You do taste the strong flavor of the sheep,

but it's not a gamey taste.

It's really really quite clean tasting,

but that does deserve to be chased by a piece of onion.

And it's tender as well, not chewy or Okay,

next up for the slices of brain.

Oh, oh, you can feel the cream that's sliced into pieces,

but you can feel the creaminess, the butteriness in your fingers.

I'll reach down for some of that bread.

I think I will squeeze on a little bit more of that that orange.

The butteriness of that brain.

It actually is a bit firmer.

I like it's not totally collapsing.

It has like this buttery firmish texture to it.

But really creamy.

Really dense.

Okay, let's go in for the hoof next.

Yeah, it's loaded with a tendon.

I think that's mostly tendon.

Tendon and foot.

Foot.

I like foot jelly.

Mhm.

Good.

Really good.

It just kind of slides around.

This is I think this is more tongue.

Oh, you know what?

Like this should be the sheep tongue.

The other tongue might Maybe it's cow tongue, I don't know.

Cuz that tongue was huge.

Tongue is fantastic.

Again.

So tender and stringy.

Okay, let's go back in for the head.

And I want to get get into that cheek.

Oh, look at the way it's so tender.

You can dig out the whole crevice.

Oh, that's part of the best part right there.

Right?

It's like liquefying.

It's so tender.

Wow.

Our cheek is unbelievable.

It actually requires no chewing.

Definitely it's an adventure on a plate,

but you go full circle around the sheep all on one plate.

Yes.

Very good.

Okay.

One final tea to wash it down.

But it has been an absolutely incredible day in Baghdad eating some of the

great street food all day from the morning all the way till night.

It's been action-packed.

People have been friendly.

There's been so much energy and we've tried a lot of delicious food.

Let me know in the comments what food would you want to try the

most.

I'd love to hear from you.

And thinking back on everything we ate,

what was my favorite food of the day?

That's a tough choice cuz we've eaten so many things.

I got to say and actually I'm pretty surprised by my choice as well,

but I think it might be my favorite dish of the entire day was

the qahi geymar because that's something totally different

and unique to me

that I hadn't had before.

I'm going to leave another video here.

We've been eating our way all around Iraq eating some of the best local

food.

And a big thank you to my friend Ahmed for taking us around today.

Remember to give this video a thumbs up.

Good night from Baghdad, Iraq.

I'll see you on the next video.