Gheimeh, gheymeh, or qeimeh () is an

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

stew (''

khoresh Khoresh () or Khoresht () is a Persian word that refers to Iranian stews, usually slow-cooked and served with rice. It’s the heart of Iranian cuisine and comes in many varieties, often named after their main ingredients. The word is a substant ...

'') consisting of diced

mutton Lamb and mutton, collectively sheep meat (or sheepmeat) is one of the most common meats around the world, taken from the domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries'', and generally divided into lamb, from sheep in their first year, hogget, from sheep in thei ...

tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

es,

split pea Split peas are an agricultural or culinary preparation consisting of the dried, peeled and split seeds of '' Pisum sativum'', the pea. Harvesting The peas are spherical when harvested, with an outer skin. The peas are dried and the dull-colou ...

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

, and

dried lime Dried lime, also known as: black lime; ''noomi basra'' (Iraq); ''limoo amani'' (Iran); and ''loomi'' (Oman), is a lime (fruit), lime that has lost its water content, usually after having spent a majority of its drying time in the sun. They are u ...

, garnished with golden, thinly sliced crispy potatoes. The stew is sometimes garnished with fried

eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...

and is usually served with white rice ('' polow'').

Etymology

The Persian word ''gheimeh'' (also transliterated as ''qeimeh'') derives from

Classical Persian Persian ( ), also known by its endonym Farsi (, Fārsī ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoke ...

''qeema,'' which comes from a Turkic word ''qıyma'' 'minced meat', like the

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

'' qīmā/ keema'', Turkish ''kıyma,'' and

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

''kimás''.''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...

''
''s.v.''
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Iraqi variant

In Iraq, especially in the Shi’a holy cities of

Najaf Najaf is the capital city of the Najaf Governorate in central Iraq, about 160 km (99 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2024 is about 1.41 million people. It is widely considered amongst the holiest cities of Shia Islam an ...

and

Karbala Karbala is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about southwest ...

, the Persian stew khoresh-e gheimeh (qeema) has become a beloved part of local cuisine, largely through the deep cultural and religious ties between Iran and Iraq. For centuries, Iranian pilgrims have traveled to these cities for ziyarat (pilgrimage), especially during major events like Arba’een. Along with their spiritual devotion, they brought their culinary traditions—including gheimeh, a hearty stew made with split peas, tomato, dried lime (limoo amani), and meat, often topped with fried potatoes. Over time, Iraqis adopted and adapted the dish, incorporating it into religious gatherings and communal meals, particularly during Muharram. Today, gheimeh is commonly served at mawakib (free food stands) during pilgrimage events, symbolizing both hospitality and the shared cultural fabric between the two nations. It can also eaten on Easter, Christmas, funerals and weddings.

Iranian variants

* Gheimeh sibzamini (): with thin-cut

French fries French fries, or simply fries, also known as chips, and finger chips (Indian English), are '' batonnet'' or '' julienne''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and f ...

. * Gheimeh bademjan (): with pan-fried whole or long-cut

s. * Gheimeh nesar (): with almonds and fried onions; a specialty of

Qazvin Qazvin (; ; ) is a city in the Central District (Qazvin County), Central District of Qazvin County, Qazvin province, Qazvin province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is the largest city in the provi ...

. * Pichagh gheimeh (): a different dish with almonds and fried onions; a specialty of

Ardabil Ardabil (, ) is a city in northwestern Iran. It is in the Central District (Ardabil County), Central District of Ardabil County, Ardabil province, Ardabil province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. The ...

. Pichagh (Azeri spelling: pıçaq) means knife in the

Azerbaijani language Azerbaijani ( ; , , ) or Azeri ( ), also referred to as Azerbaijani Turkic or Azerbaijani Turkish (, , ), is a Turkic languages, Turkic language from the Oghuz languages, Oghuz sub-branch. It is spoken primarily by the Azerbaijanis, Azerbaij ...

, and it refers to the almonds. * Gheimeh rashti (): with sour pomegranate paste, pomegranate juice, tomato, and verjuice; a specialty of

Rasht Rasht (; ) is a city in the Central District (Rasht County), Central District of Rasht County, Gilan province, Gilan province, Iran, serving as the capital of the province, the county, and the district. The city is also known as the "City of ...

. * Gheimeh nokhoud (): with chickpeas instead of split peas; a specialty of the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

coast of Iran; including

Bushehr Bushehr (; ) is a port city in the Central District (Bushehr County), Central District of Bushehr County, Bushehr province, Bushehr province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Etymology The roots of the n ...

. * Gheimeh kadou (): with pan-fried whole or long-cut squash. * Gheimeh beh (): with pan-fried whole or long cut

quince The quince (; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the genus ''Cydonia'' in the Malinae subtribe (which contains apples, pears, and other fruits) of the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard, aromatic bright golden-yel ...

s. * Gheimeh bamieh (): with pan-fried

okra Okra (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae, mallow family native to East Africa. Cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions aro ...

. It also has lemon juice and cinnamon. * Gheimeh jahromi (): with chickpeas and meat. a speciality of Jahrom.

References

Iranian stews Iraqi cuisine Lamb dishes {{iran-cuisine-stub

Etymology

Iraqi variant

Iranian variants

See also

References