Page 32 - Aruba Today
P. 32
A32
FEATUREFriday 8 April 2016
Iraq’s food business grows despite war, economic slump
SINAN SALAHEDDIN cluding stews made of pi-
Associated Press geon or lamb, a turnip dish
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi and a kind of poultry pie.
businessman Zaid Nazo has Culinary arts flourished
always been sure of his na- when Baghdad was the
tion’s deep passion for food capital of the Abbasid Ca-
and wasn’t afraid to dream liphate, from the eighth to
big when he transformed the thirteenth century, and
his small Baghdad coffee many cookbooks have
shop in 1999 into a ca- been preserved from that
sual dining and takeaway period.
restaurant. Today, the Iraq’s signature dishes in-
41-year-old father of two clude masgouf, a grilled
has opened four branches fish, as well as lamb kebabs
and his chain is one of the and fire-roasted chicken.
most popular in Iraq. But many Baghdad eater-
Many Iraqi entrepreneurs ies now offer American-
are finding restaurants and style fast food, with added
eateries a safe business spice to appeal to the Iraqi
bet, despite the country’s palate.
slumping economy, pre- Nazo remembers when he
vailing violence and an on- started in Karrada, they
going war with the Islamic offered mostly traditional
State group. In this Thursday, March 24, 2016 photo, customers serve themselves from a buffet at a busy res- shawarma sandwiches
The food business is grow- taurant in Baghdad, Iraq. Many Iraqi entrepreneurs are finding restaurants and eateries a safe wrapped with saj — tra-
ing quickly. There are 40 business bet, despite the country’s slumping economy, prevailing violence and an ongoing war ditional, unleavened flat-
percent more restaurants with the Islamic State group. The food business is booming. bread baked on a dome-
in Baghdad today than
there were in 2013 — when Associated Press
security and economic
conditions in the country ner, his close friend Marwan day because they don’t
were much better —ac- Rassam, established their know what tomorrow will
cording to Shakir al-Zamili, first eatery — Saj al-Reef or bring,” he added.
the chairman of Baghdad “Country Bread” in Arabic The food boom has seen
Investment Commission. — in the upscale Baghdad new establishments open
It’s unexpected when the neighborhood of Karrada all around Baghdad, from
city still faces almost daily 18 years ago. city rooftops to the banks of
bombings, large swaths of Then in 2007, they opened the Tigris River. Local busi-
a second branch in Irbil, nessmen are pouring mil-
the capital of the semi-au- lions of dollars into buying
tonomous Kurdistan region, or renting property, bring-
ing in foreign chefs and
staff, competing with one
another for the fanciest de-
sign, best decoration and
most attractive cuisine.
And though suicide and In this Sunday, April 3, 2016 photo, a waiter brings a tray of food
car bombings regularly tar- to customers at a restaurant in Baghdad, Iraq.
get large gatherings — in- Associated Press
In this Sunday, April 3, 2016 photo, Iraqis have lunch at a restau- cluding restaurants — the ed to skyrocket, he says. shaped metal griddle over
rant in Baghdad, Iraq. Iraqi businessman Zaid Nazo and his busi- boom has not slowed. Four out of 10 proposals a wood fire.
ness partner, Marwan Rassam, established their first eatery -- Saj “Baghdadis live under that land before al-Zamili’s His latest branch cost more
al-Reef or “Country Bread” in Arabic -- in the upscale Baghdad huge pressure,” said al- commission are for res- than $1 million and can
neighborhood of Karrada 18 years ago. Zamili, the chairman of the taurants or coffee shops. seat 500 clients. Its menu
Baghdad Investment Com- Baghdad has now more touts nearly 70 Middle East-
Associated Press mission. “Restaurants are than 100 restaurants, cof- ern, Mediterranean, Chi-
the best place to vent daily fee shops and eateries that nese, French and Italian
the country are under con- and a third in 2009, in the frustrations and that’s the are licensed by his commis- dishes.
trol of the extremist Islamic nearby town of Sulaimani- main catalyst behind the sion — and twice as many At a recent lunchtime, uni-
State group and Prime yah. spike in these projects.” are in the planning stages. formed waiters briskly navi-
Minister Haider al-Abadi is This February, he opened The government offers sig- Nazo likes to trace the Iraqi gated through the packed,
embroiled in a political cri- a new place in Baghdad’s nificant tax breaks for up to passion for food to antiq- two-story establishment as
sis over stalled reforms and upmarket Mansour neigh- 10 years for new ventures, uity. families and young people
allegations of rampant cor- borhood. and expedites entry visas Last century, archaeolo- huddled over wooden ta-
ruption. “I bet on the mentality of for foreign staff at such gists discovered what is bles. There was a line wait-
It’s also a testament to Iraq- Iraqis,” he told The Associ- businesses. believed to be one of the ing for a free table.
is’ determination to triumph ated Press. “The Iraqi peo- After the Islamic State took world’s oldest cookbooks Anas al-Sarraf, 28, runs
over violence. ple love to live ... and they much of northern and west- — three clay tablets written the Baghdad Restaurants
Nazo and his business part- make the most of every ern Iraq in the summer of in cuneiform script, dating Guide, a Facebook page
2014, investors’ appetite for to about 1700 B.C. Housed he has run since 2012. It
restaurants, entertainment at the Babylonian Collec- keeps Baghdadis updated
and hospitality projects tion of Yale University, they with the latest, attracting
slowed down considerably, give cooking instructions nearly 200,000 followers.q
said al-Zamili. for more than two dozen
Then it picked up and start- Mesopotamian dishes, in-
