Erbil inaugurates Food Festival Week 2022

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Food Festival Week 2022 kicked off in the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil on Wednesday. 

Food connoisseurs, families, and local officials have gathered in the capital’s large Sami Abdul Rahman Park for the event, which features live music and dance performances and has over 100 varieties of food on offer. 

At least 150 food items are on display at the event, including well-known Kurdish cuisines from different parts of the region, the festival’s manager Khogir Chato told Kurdistan 24 on Thursday.

Ms. Asos, who only gave her first name, is the female owner of a traditional Kurdish restaurant participating in the festival. 

“We are participating in this festival to introduce Kurdish food,” she told Kurdistan 24 on Wednesday. 

Asos believes the “new generation” of Kurds aren’t familiar with their nation’s traditional food, particularly Kifte, Doyne, Qorraw, and Qaliya. 

“We want to restore the originality of Kurdish food,” she said.

While enjoying a wide variety of food, visitors can attend live music concerts or participate in games such as bowling, basketball, and golf. 

Nutritionists and government food regulators are also participating in three panels during the five-day festival, focusing on the importance of healthy diets and the dangers of obesity. 

After it concludes in Erbil, the organizers are set to inaugurate the same festival in Sulaimani and Duhok. 

The event comes as the Kurdistan Region capital hosts at least 60,000 people who have traveled from Iraq and other countries to enjoy the Eid holiday, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Iraqi Arabs and foreign tourists are also attending the ongoing food festival. 

Additional reporting by Shayma Bayiz