In another solid showing of hospitality, Paige and I were invited over to our friend Salih’s house to eat some dolma, a stuffed vegetable dish which is considered a Kurdish specialty. It takes a lot of preparation and is a hearty dish. It consists of many vegetables including tomatoes, green beans, onions, and potatoes all stuffed with this rice mixture. Here is a picture:
This is probably the 4th different Kurdish person’s house that we have gone to, and the results have all been the same: ornate decorations coupled with an immaculate cleaning job. In middle school my friends used to say that my house in NH was out of a magazine due to its cleanliness and the decorations. I like to think of myself as neat and organized, but all of these houses are absolutely spotless. It appears as if a professional cleaner lives and works non-stop in the homes. It is actually quite impressive, especially considering that many of the families have multiple children running around.
The architecture of the houses is visibly appealing and gives otherwise indistinctive neighborhoods a charming feel to them. You do not see two houses next to each other that are exactly the same. All of the houses are quite different and have a fascinating design that exemplifies a construction process and architectural designs that are nowhere near what we typically see in the West. There are no yards, and little to no grass, but there are numerous balconies. Even though the houses adjoin those of their neighbors, large walls give some semblance of privacy. Here is an example of a one of the houses:
Now, I’ll move on to the disgusting part of this post. During dinner we were told about this dish called Pacha that is consumed all across the Middle East and even into Iran, Georgia, and Armenia. It is a traditional dish which consists of a sheep’s head, stomach, and feet being boiled into this broth and soaked up with bread. As if this wasn’t grotesque sounding enough, the cheeks and tongues are considered the most desired parts, and the stomach can be stitched closed and filled with rice and vegetables. I consider myself to be an adventurous person, but there is frankly no way in hell I am trying this dish. After a quick Google search I read about the dish and found the following pictures. The fact that Pacha consistently ranks as one of the weirdest and most unappetizing dishes in the world doesn’t make it any more appealing. Just like the scene in the Chinese restaurant from, “A Christmas Story,” I don’t want my meal watching me as I eat it.
Pacha may be absolutely delicious, but I will never know.
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