Quzi

❧

Wikipedia

Quzi
Iraqi quzi
Alternative namesQuzi, Qoozi, Ghuzi, Ghoozi
CourseMeal
Place of origin Iraq
Region or stateMiddle East, Persian Gulf and North Africa
Associated cuisineIraqi cuisine
Created byIraqis
Main ingredientsLamb, rice, roasted nuts and raisins
  •   Media: Quzi

Quzi (Arabic: قوزي), also spelled as qoozi or ghoozi, is a popular rice-based dish and is considered one of Iraq's national dishes. It is served with very slowly cooked lamb, roasted nuts, and raisins served over rice.[1] The dish can also be found in some Arab states of the Persian Gulf.[citation needed]

Etymology

The Arabic word quzi (Arabic: قوزي) comes from Turkish kuzu (Ottoman Turkish: قوزی) meaning 'lamb'.[2][3] Different pronounciations and spellings are used across the Arab world, common ones include quzi, ouzi (أوزي), qouzi, or ghoozi.[4]

Quzi originally referred to a dish made of lamb stuffed with rice and ground meat, but now refers to a variety of dishes with similar ingredients.[5][3] For example, some chicken and rice dishes are referred to as quzi.[6]

Variations

In Iraqi cuisine, it is usually prepared by stuffing a whole lamb with rice, vegetables, spices and nuts and slow-cooking it over a closed or submerged oven.[5] In some places in the Middle East it is buried in a pit containing burning coal or charcoal to get the smoky flavor.

There are many variations to this technique such as in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, where it is called madfoon, cooked by being wrapped in aluminium foil and kept on an open heat source. In Oman and UAE it is called shuwaa and is traditionally eaten on festive occasions, prepared by wrapping the marinated meat in date palm leaves and placing the wrapped meat in a submerged oven.

Levantine ouzi, made with carrots, peas, and chicken.

In Jordan, and Syria it is known as zarb; the meat is portioned into smaller pieces and kept along with vegetables and bread dough so that the flavors are enhanced.[citation needed] Some versions in the Levant use chicken next to or in place of lamb.[6][7]

Another version popular in Jordan and Syria uses ground lamb meat instead of whole lamb, sometimes presented as a pilaf with carrots and peas,[3][8] originally, this was used as the filling for surar ouzi (Levantine Arabic: صرر أوزي, lit. 'ouzi pouches'[9]), which are parcels of thin dough that are stuffed and baked, but contemporary versions call the stuffing itself "ouzi".[10][3] It is especially popular in Syria, and often served for special occasions like weddings or to guests.[9][11] Traditionally, surar ouzi was a popular way to package food for people "on the go" such as the nomadic bedouins.[12]

Another variant is called haneeth where it is cooked inside a hot tabun; this variation can be found in most Middle Eastern countries as well as the Horn of Africa and North Africa.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Whole Roasted Lamb (Qoozi) Archived 2018-08-28 at the Wayback Machine in Maryam's Culinary Wonders
  2. ↑ "kuzu". Nişanyan Sözlük (in Turkish). Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 O'Neill, Holly; Kassis, Reem (21 February 2021). "Reem Kassis: how I brought my Palestinian heritage to the table". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  4. ↑ "For Many Members of the Arab American Diaspora, Mansaf Offers a Taste of Home". The New York Times Style Magazine. 11 Nov 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  5. 1 2 Quozi: an Iraqi lamb recipe from chef Philip Juma. Evening Standard, 24 December 2015
  6. 1 2 "مصر : " مأكولات سورية تحتل الموائد الرمضانية .. والمصريين : دخلت قلوبنا "" [Syrian cuisine dominates Ramadan tables... and Egyptians say: "It has captured our hearts."]. Aksalser (in Arabic). 16 May 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  7. ↑ "أرز الأوزي بالدجاج على طريقة منال العالم" [Chicken Ouzi Rice, Manal Al-Alam Style]. Alwatan (in Arabic). 28 May 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  8. ↑ Gorsky, Faith (6 November 2024). "Lamb Ouzi Rice". An Edible Mosaic™. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Ouzi surar". Middle East Monitor. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  10. ↑ Atassi, Anas (2 March 2021). Sumac: Recipes and stories from Syria. Murdoch Books. ISBN 978-1-76106-170-7. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  11. ↑ "رغيف خبز يحمل كنوز الشام.. ما هو أصل الأوزي؟" [A loaf of bread that carries the treasures of the Levant... What is the origin of Ouzi?]. CNN Arabic (in Arabic). 30 July 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  12. ↑ "The ancient Arabic recipe still delighting Dubai's foodies". Euronews. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2025.