Love at first bite

I think about it at least a dozen times a day. If there is a piece floating around the kitchen I will sniff it out and scoff it down. My dreams are sometimes punctuated with images of the stuff and I invariably wake up craving one.
After a life-time of successfully avoiding addiction to substances such as alcohol or tobacco, I have finally met my match: Iraqi bread, aka “samoon”.
Try to imagine the flavour and texture of a fresh, plain bagel that has mated with a panini and a soft, white roll. Mold the mix into the shape of a deflated rugby ball, shove it in the oven until it is fluffy and warm on the inside, smooth and firm out the outside and voila, samoon.
This scrumptious nugget of baked pleasure adorns breakfast tables up and down Iraq, where it is lovingly dunked into bowls of cream-cheese, honey or jam.
It frequently pops up at lunchtime too, with chicken or lamb tikka gracing its innards, sandwich-style. A basket of the more-ish dough slabs is also to hand at dinner, with families stocking leftover slices in a bread basket for later.
I first sampled the delights of samoon four years ago when I dutifully tried it with various accompanying fillings. I soon realized, however, that the taste of the bread itself eclipsed anything that went with it so I switched to eating slices on their own, meaning that I could get through more in one sitting.
Since then, my samoon-per-day count has rocketed to worrying levels.
A straw poll of ordinary Iraqi adults led me to believe that average samoon consumption is one, two or perhaps three portions within a 24-hour period. I typically get through four and, on a bad day, have even managed nine.
It has reached the point whereby work is postponed for a few minutes if a warm samoon is in the vicinity – well the snack doesn’t taste as nice if it gets cold.

My staff used to arrive at the office laden down with steaming bags of the stuff to put me in a good mood for the day, until I put an end to this practice late last year after becoming unable to resist munching my way through most of it.
The team now only supplies me on a need-samoon basis (which usually kicks in by noon), while on days when they are not working I have been known to slip the cleaner at the hotel where I live a bit of cash to pop out and fetch me a bread fix.
Made from flour, water, salt and yeast, this delectable Iraqi phenomenon is best served straight from the oven of one of the many bakeries that populate the country.
It is typically shoved by hand into a plastic bag, with a customer deciding how many pieces he or she wants. The bread is cheap and conveniently available every day from the crack of dawn until the evening and even later in the summer.
Yaser Mohammad, a taxi driver, shares my love of samoon. He also regularly gets through more than seven slices per day. “I like samoon because it is cheap, readily available and tastes really good when it is still warm,” said the 25-year-old.
Abbas al-Badawi, a contractor, has a more average, daily consumption rate of two or three. “I especially like to eat it in the morning with jam when the samoon is hot,” he said.
Teacher Hannan Ali, aged 35, is also a fan, but worries about her weight. “I eat three of four a day. Five is the most,” she said.
I have no idea how many calories are in a samoon but I guess it is not the healthiest of foods.
Not everyone is hooked. Mari Yusef, a student, only eats one with a plate of eggs. “I don’t really like it but I can’t eat breakfast without some Iraqi bread,” she said.
I often wonder why (unlike sushi, pizza, bagels and paninis) samoon has yet to find its way into Western countries. Hmmm maybe that could be a future venture? I would love to try samoon with salmon and cream cheese. Or perhaps samoon with mozzarella, tomato and pesto. Agh I have to stop writing about it.
For the record, I ate two pieces while putting this blog together.

[Picture 1: A bag of samoon at my Baghdad office;
Picture 2: Raw samoon being put in the oven of a bakery in Irbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan;
Picture 3: An Iraqi Kurdish baker bagging me some samoon last November;
Picture 4: A pile of yummy, fresh samoon;
Picture 5: Me with yet another bag of samoon.]

Comments

[Hannah]

I've just returned from a whirlwind tour of Berlin. I have the exact same feelings for proper rye bread.

Thank God for our local Lidl, which will now have to feed my addiction.

[ASEEL R.RAHMA]

HEY MISS DEBIE,YOU LOOK SO NICE WHERE THE BAG OF SAMOON BETWWEN YOUR HANDS.YOU SHOULD ALSO,TASTE SOME IRAQI MEALS LIKE DOLMA(FOLDED GRAPES LEAVES),IRAQI KABABS,MASGOOF(BROWNED)FISH,AND NOT FINALLY IRAQI SHAWARMA(KASS).AM SURE YOU WILL BE FATTY WHEN YOU TASTE THEM BECAUSE YOU WILL BE ADDICTTED TO ALL.

[Alys]

Could we have a recipe please? I'd love to try this!

[Zappy Corleone]

Too bad people have now to pay ID 250 for one "Samoona" due to the lack of Kerosine for the Bakeries.

[Aimen]

hey
You still love samoon, Please Debbie tell me next time you visit Jordan, I will take you to a good Iraqi restuarant in Amman.
Thay serve good Shawirma and Samoon
Give me your word Debbie...

[Haitham Bahia]

You could find it now in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I could send you some if you like by mail.
Regards,
Haitham

[Dalya H.]

If you live in Ottawa and looking for Iraqi "Sammon", you can find it in the Iraqi bakary on Bank steet. Great quality and good prices, let support iraqi community in Ottawa ...

[Bruno Mota]

An Iraqi friend of mine taught me to stuff it with shredded chicken, purple onions, garlic (all fried together), and sumac, and a drizzle of olive oil. I also found that shredded beef with sour cream and pickles is another good stuffing.

[Decline and Fall]

I can't get enough either, although you seem to have better access to it than I do.

The trick with creating a "Samoon craze" in the U.S. will be figuring out how to seal with the fact that it isn't that good after it has cooled down and hardened. This could definitely take off in the big cities, though.

[Joe Snuffy]

I am an American Soldier that has done a tour in Iraq. Samoon is good, but the flat bread, like pizza bread. I forget the name, but it is much better. Throw some lamb or chicken on it. Koula Zien!

[funnybroad]

OHMIGOD! SAMOON!!!! I worked as a contractor in Iraq for a year and a half, and my dear dear dear wonderful Iraqi teammates would bring me Samoon every morning for breakfast (I was confined to a camp). We'd eat it with honey, or something that was like a cross between cream cheese and butter... they told me it was made from "water buffalo" milk. It didn't have much taste, but I loved eating it... just so I could say "I eat water buffalo cheese" (bragging rights) I had it in Baghdad and Basrah, and I have to say, I had the best Samoon in Basrah. I also had the most AMAZING fresh dates there. Have you had those? In Baghdad, they're kind of skinny, but they grow them big fat and absolutely addictive in Basrah! Baghdad wins the prize for the best Bakalawa though. I miss Iraq so much. I miss my Iraqi friends. I worry about them all the time! If you need a good I.T. person who doesn't mind a few mortars and can speak Iraqi dialect arabic (... a little...) let me know! I'd go back in a heartbeat!

[Paul]

nice change from some of the news ... there is something brave about this, in the midst of everything

but all bread is wonderful out of the oven ... isn't the test whether you want it 45 minutes later?

maybe the trick after it's gone cold is to microwave it? doesn't sound like a toast-able kind of thing ... please let us know the results of your tests

Paul

[Andy Crawford]

With a figure like yours, are you sure you eat a dozen a day? :)

[Edward Rogers]

Recipe?

[Rhonda Fall]

this web site is so cool. please email me any cool new things you get

[Carolyn]

Could anyone send me some Iraq bread. I will pay American Dollars.
Thank you.

[Ghassan]

We have samoon in St. Louis. I can send you some. Thanks for liking something from Iraq. We are good people burdened by history.

[Jen]

Hehe, what a lovely article. I would love to try some with some Sri Lankan jam. That stuff is awesome.

Hehe, Aseel R. Rahma - You're funny :)

[Historywatcher]

I am happy that Ms Deborah Haynes loves Samoon and also probably the "Khobez AlTannoor" (the flat round bread. However,I am very unhappy that it had to be through an invasion and not an invitation that has exposed her to an Iraqi delicacy.

[Lateef]

I left Baghdad 27 years ago and your article brought fond memories of this most wonderful bread.
May I suggest you would try khubuz (large round flat bread biege in colour and baked in a tannoor). Khubuz bakery (makhbaz) is different from samoon bakery (firin). Like samoon, khubuz is best eaten warm from the bakery. For breakfast; khubuz with dibis (date molasses) and gemar (buffalo milk clotted cream). Washed down with strong black Cylon tea. Please ensure that the gemar is very fresh and good quality. Try also Kahee from the Masbaghah off Rasheed Street. Must be bought very early in the morning. Eaten drenched in sheera (sugar syrop), with gemar and tea.
Oh, and ask your colleagues if Ka'ak il Sayyid is still there. It is possibly the oldest pastry shop in Baghdad, opposite the Central bank on Rasheed street. If it is, ask them to get you some ka'ak and baqsam (dry pastries). Delicious with sweet black Cylon tea.

[Marina]

Guys, i'd love to try this bread, I've eaten lots of eastern and moorish food and loved everything...I'd join the others to ask Deborah Haynes for the receipe of this bread and perhaps if is not too much, a meat feeling recipe too!

Of course people in Irak are good people, like everyone in the world, but sadly, there is so much violence we give little time to think about exchanges like this, thanks Deborah for bringing it on, this is what gets us all close, humans all the same everywhere.

[Saad]

Ms Deborah,

It is much better to carry the Sammoon in a cloth or canvas bag just after baking it. Plastic bags cause the Sammoon to sweat a little and loose some of its charm. There is som magic in pulling hot and crispy Sammoon from a canvas bag. Try it. You will know what I am talking about. I live in Arizona, USA. There is no Sammoon here. I'll just dream about Sammoon and droole. :-)

[Wasan]

God bless you! you took me back to my lovely childhood when Baghdad was a place where palm trees stood high and "Razqi" flowers blossomed. Have you smelt them yet? I bet you would add them to your list of Iraqi cravings. How about the sweet lemon? Have you tried that yet? Or the baby white or green apples..Or...Or...Or. Iraq is the unfortunate country of fortunes.

[Jenoye Cole]

This discussion is making me want to taste Samoon ASAP. Can someone give us a recipe? Or the nearest place to Texas A & M in College Station, Texas, to purchase ingredients or the good-sounding product? Thanks, Dalyah, for stuffing ideas--will use with Pita bread until I can get some samoon! Help us all, someone, please.

[ghada]

After what you said all !!! there is nothing to say !!!, but thanks to you all for refrishing sweet memories.

[Ayser Chalabi]

You can get Iraqi samoon in Dearborn, MI. We frequently make the 3 hours trip to stack our freezer. We always have some at hand. However, since I am over 60, my consumption rate is 1/4 to 1/3 samoona (singular form) 4 or 5 times per week. Thank you for an excellent description of my beloved samoon.

[Fatima]

I lam Iraqi who live now in the US. The only thing I miss about our Iraqi food is the samoon!!!:((. This is the only thing we cannot find it here. I love it and every memeber of my family misses the samoon. It's the best braed ever.

Thanks for writing about our beloved samoon

[Rawnak AlFayadh]

i read this nice article, and i share with Deborah this passion for eating Samoon, yet, i want to tell all those who asked for the recipe, it's very easy and simple, but the trick is in the professional processing and baking of the dough. even in Iraq not all samoon bakeries are as good as they should be. i advise also, as many others did, to try the "Khubiz", which although not unique to Iraq, yet best prepared there.
one little advise to all those who eat samoon or intend to buy it hot from the bakery, try spreading it in open air (out of bags) till they cool down to room temperature before storing it in the fridge for a later use. this way you can eat it later at the best condition after reheating it in the oven or the microwave, almost as good as freshly baked, and it prooved to be more easily digested this way.
One last advise, don't even think of having samoon sent by mail or long distance delivery, you will loose the fresh taste.
P.S: most Iraqis can't resist biting the small crispy tip of a "samoona" when they start to eat it!!

[Nana Tonana]

Hope you become fat. :-)

[Alaa]

Thanx a million Deborah for bringing sweet childhood memory.

[Ayad Abbas]

It was a bautiful ride to go with Dad, to Abu Al Samoon, as we got the hottest pieces; especially ( al qumu', or al cha'abiyah, or al memiyah), i.e. the 2 tips at the end of the samoonah.. Fights erupted over who takes most.. By the time we got home, Mom would just laugh, as all samoon, would be " endless"..!!
Now in Abu Dhabi, no one makes it here.. We sometimes drive 140 kms, to Dubai, to have it with liban arbeel & kebabs.. By the way, it is also called (samoon gaa').. Enjoy a glimpse of the LOVING IRAQ...........

[Imad J]

Reminds me of my happy childhood in Iraq, so missable never forgettable....mild winters, hot summers, gentle hills and mountains with cold streams, (even the deserts are so missable)....thick orchids full of tall proud palm trees, orange/lemon and "naringe (sour oranges) blossom everywhere in the spring. Have you ever had orange blossom jam?

Best dates in the world, best ever grilled guss (Iraqi shawirma), best ever kebabs, the dolma, the Baima, the tasteful and scented fruit from our garden (white, red grapes, plums, pears, sweet oranges, have you seen white sweet oranges?, pomegranates, satsoumas...Iraqi red and white toot (mulberry) on giant massive huge trees....fresh dates from palm trees....all from the back (or front) garden....the white also red figs...I can go on and on...... deserts full of Chima (just after rain) in the spring popping up like wild mushrooms, which you can stop and buy at road-sides, (I think Chima is truffles in English)...have you ever had chima with rice? All these fruits and veg have long season, starting in the hotter south first then with different taste and smell in the midland and north.....walnuts, almonds and pistachios from the mountains...have you ever eaten these nuts while the shell is green?

...best every thing...masgoof (big Iraq river fish grilled in open fire from burning date palm tree wood)....morning gaemar (made from buffalo cream) eaten with honey or Dibis (dates molasses), the taste of the meat, the chicken, the egg, the veg....unlike anything you have seen tasted anywhere.........the smell of the big scented roses, the carnations...all with strong sweet smell in the garden....Giant huge and massive Iraqi water melons which you eat on summer evenings after dark while enjoying the cool of the garden.....small cups of sweet Iraqi tea on summer afternoons on the balcony just after siesta as the hot baking sun starts loosening its grip.....and to top it all the one and only Iraqi razqi (small white jasmine-like flowers) which only grow in Iraq...............I haven't even mentioned Iraqi home cooking (like home sheep paacha, home dolma (at least 2/3 types), home Kubbas (4 types), and all the seasonal meat and veg curry-like sauce called Iraqi Marqa eaten with rice..

literally tens of types of every worldly delight that can be eaten, drunk, touched and smelt.... and all different in taste colour and smell from different regions.....

various types of pastries and cakes from shops and those made at home.....

[Adam Sanjari]

I received the article about Iraqi bread and quite frankly I felt a mixture of nostalgia and sadness. The nostalgia is obvious from all the comments posted about the love of Iraqi bread (samoon). Those of us living in exile as a result of a disasterous war against the people of Iraq that hypocritically was called "Operation Iraqi Freedom" yearn for the day to return to our homeland. Instead we see the face not of a guest, whom we would cherish and go to the ends of the earth to please, but the of the ruthless invader disguised as a beautiful woman. It is so painful and hurtful to our cherished memories fed back to us as if we needed them explained. Those of us who want to live in peace as HUMAN BEINGS want our dignity back for we had nothing to do with the excess of the Saddam regime nor were we a part of the disgusting splintering that now envelopes our people torn between sects and ethnic groups. I only wish Deborah understood what endeavor she was advancing and hope she can begin to appreciate what pain and suffering her people have visited upon the people of Iraq.

[Ali-AlazZawi]

just i want to say the best meal with samoon .. keeeemar an honey in morning exactly and with tea ..so tasty delicious hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Labiba Laith]

It is not funny when your colleagues ask why you have tears in your eyes and you say it's because of Iraqi bread! The nostalgia of all the good that comes with the fond memories was as sweet as 'Dibbis' (date molasses) which is an ideal partner to 'Gaimar'(clotted cream made from buffallo milk - BETTER than mozarella!) As for sammoon, it's as good as if not better than bagels you can toast it to be yummily crunchy with nice salty cheese, tomatoes and 'tare7' or 'ta'roozi' skinny ribbed member of the cucumber family, you can put it in the oven to stuff with any assortment of fillings (just dowse with a bit of water)it's great with Kebabs (the mighty Iraqi Kebab), with chicken leftovers and pickles. Though, I guess, a poor mans meal would be most appropriate... slices of hard boiled eggs and slices of boiled potatoes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and should you so desire, a nice dollop of 'Aamba' that wonderful salty, turmeric based mango pickle, preferably the camel brand!

Bon apetit! and Happy memories. Oh and recipes are readily available online, but it's the kind of flour that does that trick, try a mix with some flour that is used for corn bread et voila! the fresh acidy doughy smell!!!!!

[Bassam Al-Jazrawi]

Thanks Deb for the article glad you enjoyed it, I am fortunate that one of the Iraqi ladies here in houston Texas makes them and sell them they are ever so good and Thanks Ayad Abbas for your input I think we are neighbors with all the fruit trees in our garden you all making me homesick good luck to all and hope to meet you all in Iraq soon

[Saman F.Alhowaizy]

Hello ALl their,
Nice to see our Iraqi Samoon become so popular that much
Cheers

[Bassim]

we Baghdadis used to call it 'Samoon Baked on Briks'.

Sure I can smell it right from these beautiful pictures.
bassim.

[Nadia Al-Jawad]

Samoon is now available in most Middle Eastern groceries in London but has a doughy and coarse texture that bears no resemblance to the "samoon" I had in Iraq 18 years ago. Try serving it as a"panini": brush the inside with olive oil, stuff with avocado, tomato, red pepper and mozarella cheese and toast. Heavenly!! Or remove some of the pith, spread thinly with tomato sauce with basil, add your favourite pizza toppings and pop under the grill until cheese melts. Beats Carluccio's any time. Enjoy!!

[andy lowings]

What lovely descriptions of evenings in the countryside...
I would dearly like to go there one day and try out these dishes.

Sounds delicious!

Andy

[Munir Allahwerdi]

I like the Sammooon but must admit liking Gursat al khubuz more.
Munir

[abosaif]

We have to be proud of our ' SAMOON'

[Sam]

Dear Debbie,

You can get the same freshly baked and piping hot Iraqi Samoun you ate in Iraq in the Detroit area from:

Babylon Fruit Market
36886 Metro Parkway/ Ryan Rd.
Sterling Heights, MI 48310
Ph/ Fax (586) 264-1700

Or Next door at Kashat's Iraqi Store.

Both are yummy.

Sam

[Hiyam Afram]

Deborah,
Next time you go, ask for "Smeet", you can't find this anywhere except in Iraq. "Smeet" is a round thin crispy donut with sesemi seed spread on top. "Abu Assimeet" (the person who sells smeet)is usually found standind at the gate of schools, actually "used" to, because I do not think he is there anymore!!! Forty five years ago, we used to buy smeet before entering the school and we used to put them on as bracelets instead of keeping them in our school bags!!!
YAHYALIRAQ!!

[Atheel Baithoon]

In my childhood, I used to buy one samoona for ten Iraqi fils(one dinar equals thousend fils).Nowadays, it is 250 Iraqi dinars for one samoona!!!!
Thank you USA.

[jouseph]

no comment

[Hela Jaffar]

I miss eating samoon . I have not had one for a long long time. your article made me feel happy because know more people will know about samoon. I live in Sydney, Australia and I miss Samoon very much :(

We have samoon in london.I have eat it with salmon and sald with cottege chees it test better than any ather bread

[JoOjOo]

Yummy..
God i miss that Sammoon!!

shahaiteeny!

[Martin]

Ahhh like so many here, thank u so much for brining fond memories of homeland. The word samoon pops up every once in a while at our household when we rem things that we left behind. its been 16 yrs since i had one. What can I add to what people already said. Living in Aus now but I sorely miss the Iraqi food quality. Everything was more fresh and organic, the fruits and veggies tasted and smelled like nothing else anywhere else. Just break a cucumber in half and stand 20 meters away and wait 30 seconds!! the room fills up with the scent. Even the carrot tastes amazing.

Apart from what people mentioned above, I like to add Lablabi (boiled chickpeas) from a street vendor. Sure u can just boil some chick peas, add lemon and some chilli but it is nothing, nothing like what u buy from abu il arabana (the trolly man). The lablabi just melts in ur mouth and u wanna east a kilo of the stuff and the taste, ah i can taste it right now and i got tears in my eyes :)

Miss those summer days.

People also talk about dates. Ur right, nothing like a Birhi date from Basrah!! ur in heaven after having a Berhi date (one of over 300 varieties found in iraq with the south, especially Basrah being the king of dates in the world!!).

We have a Berhi tree right here in Aus but it will take at least 20 yrs for it to grow and we are still not sure if its a male or a female tree (yes like kiwi, there is male and female tree).

Finally i wanna talk about Nabug (a type of fruit that u find in Basrah and Baghdad, kind of look like ). The Basrah ones are huge and fat and taste amazing and baghdad ones are smaller and more round). Once u have one good nabug and ur hooked, its worse than a samooon addiction!! u will sit down and eat by the kilos. Incidently, the Nabug tree is considered a "holy" tree and cutting one down is considered a very bad thing!!

Please do enjoy the tastes of Iraq. We miss it and wish we go back even for one day just to live some of hour childhood days. For now, pls remember us everytime u have a Samoona (single for samoon), kabab satoor, tekka, me3lak, everything :D

[Jafar H. Faraj]

Yes Deborah, that;s your feeling which we appreciate what do you think of us (the iraqis) who left their beloved country unwillingly and left all the great memories behind ? I left Iraq 30 years ago...and to this moment and despite all these years I cannot forget the taste of samoon, it's smell when it is freshly baked...and many other great things. I go in tears when I see what happened to this wonderful country in the hands of....

Bon appetite Deborah...wish me and my family to be back to Iraq..or at least my coffin

[rafid]

Thank you for your honesty.

[Avan K. Dubai]

AWAFI, for Debborah and all Iraqis. we all have nice memories with the Sammon, i remember on our way home from school we used to buy one samoon for 10Fils, and a chocolate for 10Fils and that chocolate sandwich was taster than anything els, and mum got angrey beacuse we were full.
oh my God Iraq we all miss you.

[Maya Avery]

Can anyone give me a recipe for the samoon bread? Please! the only recipes that I have found (and tried) all consist of wheat bran or wheat germ and it just kills the recipe. Ive tried loosing this one ingredient but no improvement. I am determined to master samoon making so I can eat it when im not deployed as well as when I am.

[lulu]

even if you get the exact recipe you wont get the same taste because you are not in Iraq eating that delicious samoon with some kamar and Dibis and enjoying the lovely sunny morning!aaah i love you my old IRAQ!

[mohammed]

well first of all thankx for your lovely article im an iraqi guy living in baghdad right now and i just tasted sammon almost everyday of my life and u have to taste the cylindrical end of the taste is just concentrated at the end of it .. when u reach the end u will find ur self inneed of another one
well i will remember u dear everytime i eat a samoona ..

[Ali Abbas]

i can do the iraqi bread if you want to test it let me know.my Email ali_abbas144@yahoo.com ALI ABBAS TEXAS HOUSTON

[Nour Layth]

Ohhhhhhhhhh!!! how i miss that "samoon" it's been 5 years i didn't taste it!! :(
I wish i can find this in France!!
Very lovely article Deborah,
Eat from this "samoon" for me and for u! :) Alif Afia;)
One day we will go back and enjoy it again, with a new and peaceful Iraq:)

[Sarah]

awwww...iraqi samoon...i miss hat melt in ur moith taste...enjoyit while it lasts......eat one for me will u......loool

[Naamat]

My sister in law sends me Samoon from Amman these days , I enjoy eating it with Amba ( Mango Pikle ) or a Abiad ou Baid .
Great to hear some nice things about Iraq now a days .