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.