In Erbil, locals brave the cold for late-night feast of "baje"

Shafaq News/ As winter settles in, residents of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, are flocking to popular restaurants to savor a traditional Iraqi dish known as "baje."

Baje is a hearty stew made from sheep's or cow's offal, including the stomach, intestines, and tongue. It is typically served with bread and a variety of spices, and is often eaten as a late-night snack or early morning meal.

"People come for baje late at night and until early morning," said Muhand Mustafa, the owner of a baje restaurant in Erbil. "We get a lot of people from Erbil, as well as Arabs who live in the city."

The preparation of baje begins with chopping up Iraqi bread and soaking it in meat broth. The chopped offal is then added, along with other ingredients such as tongue, meat, and tripe, to create a dish that is customized to the customer's liking.

"The most popular parts of this dish are the tripe and the intestines, both boiled and fried," said Mustafa. "This dish varies from province to province, but the most famous is the Mosul-style baje."

Prices for baje vary depending on the size of the dish, starting at 7,000 Iraqi dinars (about $5) for a single serving and up to 35,000 dinars ($25) for a dish that can feed five people.

"Baje is a very delicious dish," said Mahmoud Khoshnaw, a customer at the restaurant. "It is usually eaten late at night or early in the morning, and it is a tradition that Iraqis from all provinces maintain."

According to a reporter for Shafaq News Agency, baje restaurants typically open at 7 p.m. and stay open until 7 a.m., catering to the large number of customers who come for this unique and flavorful dish.