'Fun, not profit'
‘Hala Baghdad’ food festival enters final days at Al-Zawra Park
BAGHDAD — Only two days remain in the first edition of the “Hala Baghdad” festival, now underway at Al-Zawra Park in central Baghdad. The event features more than 20 officially registered restaurants and home-based food businesses, offering a wide range of local and international dishes.
Among the vendors is Ghufran Adnan, owner of Baytna Food, who said she joined the event to engage with the public. “The festival is primarily for fun, not profit,” she told 964media. “I wanted to hear people’s opinions about the dishes I offer.”
Adnan served dolma and colorful variations of kubba, a traditional Iraqi dish made from a bulgur or rice dough stuffed with spiced meat. “We youth enjoy modern flavors, like my colorful kubba,” she said. “But older people prefer traditional ones like yellow kubba.”
Abeer Jaafar, owner of Al-Matbakh, said her family-run business focuses on homemade-style cooking. “Our project is completely family-run. My mother cooks, my brother Atheer helps, and I manage operations,” she said. “Our food reminds people of their mother’s cooking.”
Festival director Yassin Mohammed said the event was designed to showcase a variety of culinary brands, both local and international. “There will be future editions like ‘Hala Basra’ and ‘Hala Mosul,’” he said, noting that this year’s edition drew vendors from China, Lebanon, and Egypt, alongside around 17 local companies and food ventures from Baghdad.
He added that all participating businesses are officially registered to ensure food safety and hygiene standards are met.
