From kofte to sarma, Iraqi chef offers Turkiye cuisine to locals

Participants pick up Turkish food to taste during a Turkish cuisine reception at the U.S. Capitol’s visitor center in Washington D.C., United States on May 23, 2023 [Mostafa Bassim – Anadolu Agency]

A young chef in Iraq’s Kirkuk region offers Turkish cuisine to locals at a counter she has set up at a market, Anadolu Agency reports.

Sara Sabah told Anadolu she tried Anatolian cuisine during her travels to Turkiye in the summer, and then decided to introduce the food culture to the Arab country.

She makes dishes such as meat balls or kofte, Yaprak sarma, which are stuffed vine leaves, Turkish ravioli, or manti, as well as Lokum, also known as Turkish delight.

Sabah said Iraqis have taken a great interest in the Turkish cuisine in the last few years due to increase in their travel to Turkiye.

She soon plans to open a restaurant in Kirkuk, the city home to a diverse population.

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