Piyaz — Iraq

Piyaz describes a family of cold bean salads served as part of a meze or alongside a main meal, built on boiled beans tossed with raw onion and a tangy dressing. The beans used and the balance of spices differ from one country to the next, while the basic idea of the dish stays recognisable throughout the region. This entry is reported from Iraq, where chickpeas or white beans are common choices and the dressing leans on tomato paste, cumin and olive oil rather than the tahini or pomegranate-based versions found elsewhere. It is typically served as a cold side dish alongside grilled meat or rice. Cooked chickpeas or beans are combined with finely sliced onion, chopped tomato and parsley. A dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, tomato paste and ground cumin is whisked together and poured over the beans, and the salad is left to sit briefly so the flavours combine before serving. What sets this version apart is its cumin-and-tomato dressing, which gives it a warmer, earthier profile than the sumac-and-lemon or pomegranate-based dressings used in neighbouring versions of the same dish. Each of these approaches is simply a different way the same idea is prepared from one country to the next.