Hereesah Time
Last week I helped "stir the pot" as a traditional dish called "Hereesah" was made at the GRD compound.
I'm told that during the first two months of the Islamic lunar calendar it is tradition to prepare and cook Hereesah. Its main ingredients are barley and meat cooked together in a large pot until all the ingredients resemble a creamy smooth texture...think oatmeal but a little stringy. Adding to the oatmeal analogy is the fact that the dish is garnished with sugar, cinnamon and butter. The food is then distributed to the "community" as an act of sharing and solidarity.
Tradition is that everyone takes part in the preparation by stirring the pot and making a wish. For the last two years the dish has been prepared at GRD HQ in the International Zone. They prepare the dish to symbolize unity between GRD and Iraq. I heard it described that like the ingredients of Hereesh being melted together in one pot that the differences in Iraq would be melted together into harmony and stability for Iraq. That is the wish we were asked to make while stirring the pot.
Preparation began Wednesday evening (Feb. 11) and the Hereesah was tended through the night and then served for breakfast the next morning. I saw that some people had volunteered to stir the pot at 2 a.m. but I wasn't that brave. I was out there around 7 p.m and went home around 9 p.m.
DeDe and I were out there capturing the moment with video and camera. Here are a few pictures of us stirring the pot. Two of the pots had the Hereesah mixture and the other one was water, which was periodically added to the cooking pots.
The next morning they served the Hereesah for breakfast, under a banner that read "Breakfast for Unity, Stability and Prosperity for Iraq." I didn't mind stirring the pot but I wasn't sure about actually eating the Hereesah. Breakfast was at 8:30 a.m. but I was trying to get the news clips out before a 9 a.m. event so I had a convienent excuse.
The event was the signing of an agreement between GRD and the Iraqi Navy to move forward on the construction of a $53 million pier and seawall project. You can read the press release by clicking here and going to the Press Release section on GRD's website. It's a very significant project for several reasons. It is the first Foreign Military Sales project between GRD and Iraq, which means its being built using Iraqi funds and the U.S. is providing construction management and contracting. The Iraqi Navy is also charged with protecting Iraq's oil infrastructure in the Arab Gulf. Oil is Iraq's chief source of revenue so it is critical that the infastructure is protected.
After the official ceremony, staff from Programs Division brought in Hereesah to share with the guests from the Ministry of Defense and the Iraqi Navy and U.S. Forces. Well, when an Iraqi admiral invited me to try the Hereesah after I admitted that I had not tried any yet, I felt obliged to have some.
It actually was not bad and it does taste a bit like oatmeal. Tom will testify to the fact that I do not have an iron gut but I did fair just fine through my introduction to Hereesah.
I'm told that during the first two months of the Islamic lunar calendar it is tradition to prepare and cook Hereesah. Its main ingredients are barley and meat cooked together in a large pot until all the ingredients resemble a creamy smooth texture...think oatmeal but a little stringy. Adding to the oatmeal analogy is the fact that the dish is garnished with sugar, cinnamon and butter. The food is then distributed to the "community" as an act of sharing and solidarity.
Tradition is that everyone takes part in the preparation by stirring the pot and making a wish. For the last two years the dish has been prepared at GRD HQ in the International Zone. They prepare the dish to symbolize unity between GRD and Iraq. I heard it described that like the ingredients of Hereesh being melted together in one pot that the differences in Iraq would be melted together into harmony and stability for Iraq. That is the wish we were asked to make while stirring the pot.
Preparation began Wednesday evening (Feb. 11) and the Hereesah was tended through the night and then served for breakfast the next morning. I saw that some people had volunteered to stir the pot at 2 a.m. but I wasn't that brave. I was out there around 7 p.m and went home around 9 p.m.
DeDe and I were out there capturing the moment with video and camera. Here are a few pictures of us stirring the pot. Two of the pots had the Hereesah mixture and the other one was water, which was periodically added to the cooking pots.
The next morning they served the Hereesah for breakfast, under a banner that read "Breakfast for Unity, Stability and Prosperity for Iraq." I didn't mind stirring the pot but I wasn't sure about actually eating the Hereesah. Breakfast was at 8:30 a.m. but I was trying to get the news clips out before a 9 a.m. event so I had a convienent excuse.
The event was the signing of an agreement between GRD and the Iraqi Navy to move forward on the construction of a $53 million pier and seawall project. You can read the press release by clicking here and going to the Press Release section on GRD's website. It's a very significant project for several reasons. It is the first Foreign Military Sales project between GRD and Iraq, which means its being built using Iraqi funds and the U.S. is providing construction management and contracting. The Iraqi Navy is also charged with protecting Iraq's oil infrastructure in the Arab Gulf. Oil is Iraq's chief source of revenue so it is critical that the infastructure is protected.
After the official ceremony, staff from Programs Division brought in Hereesah to share with the guests from the Ministry of Defense and the Iraqi Navy and U.S. Forces. Well, when an Iraqi admiral invited me to try the Hereesah after I admitted that I had not tried any yet, I felt obliged to have some.
It actually was not bad and it does taste a bit like oatmeal. Tom will testify to the fact that I do not have an iron gut but I did fair just fine through my introduction to Hereesah.
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