Tashreeb (تشريب) is one of the most famous dishes of Iraqi cuisine. The base is always Iraqi bread, torn into pieces and placed at the bottom of the plate. On top of it lies slow-stewed meat – most often lamb or chicken – and everything is poured over with a strong, aromatic sauce in which the meat was cooked. Sometimes the sauce is red thanks to tomatoes, other times yellow from turmeric, but there is always enough of it for the bread to soak it up, soften, and become an integral part of the meal. It is not a soup in which the bread would float, nor is it dry meat with a side dish.
Tashreeb is not just the name of a specific recipe, but in a broader sense, it describes the preparation technique itself. The word comes from an Arabic root meaning “to soak” or “to drink”. And that is exactly what happens on the plate – the bread soaks up the sauce. A similar recipe dates back to a dish called tharid, which was allegedly a favorite dish of the Prophet Muhammad.
The dish originated from the need to avoid throwing away old bread. In times when it was not easy to keep bread fresh for more than a day, it was necessary to find a way to utilize the old one that had already hardened. Hot broth breathed new life into it, restored its softness, and flavored it at the same time.
Tashreeb is traditionally eaten with the right hand, but a spoon is also quite common. A plate of radishes and cucumbers for crunch, spring onions for sharpness, and plenty of fresh herbs are an inseparable part of the meal. Raw onion cut into quarters is also often added.
I tasted tashreeb with perfectly prepared lamb in a small restaurant in the town of Akre. One portion including soup, bread, vegetables, several salads, a bottle of water, and a glass of tea cost 12,000 IQD (7.20 EUR).
Bon appétit!
