NAJAF, Iraq – Pacha is a traditional dish made from slow-boiled sheep heads, trotters, and stomach served with bread and broth. It has long been a staple of authentic Middle Eastern cuisine.
The pictures above show the process of cooking Pacha in the central Iraqi Shiite Muslim shrine city of Najaf on April 20, 2019.
The main ingredients of this delicacy are the head of a sheep (or goat or lamb) the stomach (cleaned and processed), and water for boiling.
The stomach lining is stuffed with a mixture of rice, nuts, herbs, and ground meat. It is then stitched with a sewing thread. This is then boiled together with the head and legs then served with broth and bread.
Photos by Haidar Hamdani / AFP
