Breakfast, Rixos Hotel, Duhok. September 2018
Turkish breakfast - lots of little bits
Even though I was in Iraq in the Kurdish region, Turkey dominated everything. Soon after arriving, my friends encouraged me to try a "breakfast" somewhere. This was my first because the Rixos Hotel was close to my apartment and I had become a regular there for morning coffee [see: Friday Coffee]. I loved the concept of not too much of anything, yet an array of different tastes. It felt like "micro-tapas". The final effect was extremely filling even though the initial impression was more like "oh wow, this isn't really substantial". Interesting how a plate of pancakes looks so much more filling than this breakfast, yet I get equally stuffed by both!
Included in this repast are several cheeses, fresh cut fruit, olives, eggs two styles, and dipping sauces that included tahina and dhibs (date syrup). The combination of flavors seemed endless in the way things potentially could be mixed and matched. I am not a huge breakfast fan, but as a brunch-type meal, this was definitely my kind of experience. Later in my stay, I found even better places to order breakfast in Duhok although the one from Rixos was my first.
This breakfast also was my first realization that because the Kurds have been divided up and scattered across many countries over the centuries, much of their culture is influenced by where they lived. Kurmanji Kurds (mostly in Turkey and Northern Iraq) were very heavily Turkish influenced in their food and customs. Kurds in Sulamaniya on the other side of Northern Iraq were far more influenced by Iran. After a time living in Duhok, I started to wonder what was truly "Kurdish" beyond language, dress, music, and dance? Are those enough elements to maintain a vibrant culture? Kurds are fiercely proud of being Kurdish, yet they all seem to have no problem borrowing culture from wherever they are located. At the end of the experience in Iraq, I questioned what were the base elements of a culture. Were a language and national dress enough?