Kurdish dumplings in yogurt, also known as “kubbeh” or “shish barak,” are a traditional dish in Kurdish cuisine that can be an amazing addition to anybody’s diet gastronomic journey, but what are the benefits of this traditional Kurdish food? There are many, so let’s show you everything you need to know about this simple yet affective dish.
The Nutritional Benefits of Kurdish Yogurt
The ingredients of both dumplings and Kurdish yogurt can provide a powerhouse of nutrients, and these include:
A Powerhouse of Protein
The most foundational ingredient of this wonderful dish is milk and Kurdish yogurt is traditionally made from the milk of either a goat, sheep, or cow. Making this yogurt is an art that’s been passed down through generations in Kurdish culture, and milk is one of those drinks, in any form, that is rich in proteins and essential amino acids that are critical for a variety of muscle repair and body functions.
Protein should be a key part of anybody’s diet, and anywhere from approximately 10% to 35% of your calories should come from protein every single day. The recommended dietary allowance is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, but anybody that is undergoing rigorous exercise regimes can benefit from incorporating more, and should aim for roughly one gram of protein per pound of body weight. So, for example, someone weighing 160 pounds should be getting at least 160 grams of protein per day.
Kurdish yogurt, per cup, contains approximately 8 grams of protein, and this amounts to approximately 16% of your daily value, making it more than an adequate source of this essential nutrient that is the building blocks for strength and muscle function.
A Spectrum of Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and they are essential for various bodily functions. Kurdish yogurt, with its rich protein content, provides a spectrum of the essential amino acids that contribute to muscle growth, repair tissues, and play a key role in synthesizing hormones and neurotransmitters within the brain.
The essential amino acids are those that the body cannot produce on its own and must be obtained through diet; Kurdish yogurt becomes an invaluable source of these, as it can give the body all the necessary tools for various physiological functions.
The Variety of Vitamins
Milk is an excellent source of various vitamins and minerals, including:
- Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin. Vitamin B2 supports energy production and cellular function, and a deficiency can lead to health problems, with animal studies showing that brain and heart disorders, and potentially some cancers, can develop from long-term deficiencies in riboflavin.
- B12, also known as cobalamin, is needed to form red blood cells and DNA and is also a critical component in the functioning and development of brain and nerve cells.
- Calcium, often associated with milk, is usually mentioned alongside having healthy bones and teeth. However, calcium also plays a vital role in many other parts of the body. For example, calcium is critical for blood clotting, helping muscles to contract, and can regulate heart rhythms and nerve functions. The body gets its calcium either by foods or supplements that contain calcium, or by drawing calcium from the body. If someone does not consume enough calcium, the body will extract it directly from the bones. Therefore, it’s important to have a lot of calcium in our everyday diet, which we can easily get through a Kurdish cuisine such as yogurt.
Probiotic Cultures
The magic of Kurdish yogurt comes from its fermentation process. When the milk is left to ferment for several hours in a warm and dark place overnight, this encourages a number of key probiotics, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, to ferment.
There has been a great focus on gut bacteria in the modern day, and probiotics play a key role in maintaining a balanced gut microbiome, providing a number of positive functions when in a healthy state, and these include protection from pathogens, improving the body’s ability to digest, and greatly benefiting the immune system.
As your microbiome grows, it can affect your body in a number of the following ways:
- The gut microbiome can communicate with the immune cells, and this will control how the body responds to infection.
- Digesting fiber, which is a critical part of our everyday health, but is also key in preventing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and helping to maintain a healthy weight.
- The gut microbiome may also affect the central nervous system, which controls brain function.
- Kurdish yogurt is an excellent source of calcium for people who are lactose-intolerant, and this is because fermented foods like yogurt and kefir possess less lactose in comparison to standard off-the-shelf milk, making it an excellent alternative to standard yogurts or milk.
They say that our gut is responsible for the vast majority of our immune system, and now there is research to show that a diverse microbiome can have a major impact on our health. An imbalance of unhealthy and healthy microbes could contribute to numerous issues, such as high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and weight gain; probiotics can be the secret ingredient that we all need in our diet, and luckily we can find a lot of it in Kurdish yogurt.
Infusions of Nutrition
Kurdish yogurt also incorporates a number of different additions that boast micronutrients and antioxidants. For example, mint contains menthol and has been long touted for its benefits in alleviating digestive issues and a herb like dill is rich in flavonoids and essential oils that provide anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. These can also make Kurdish yogurt taste amazing, especially in combination with Kurdish dumplings.
The Nutrient-Packed Parcel of Kurdish Dumplings
While Kurdish yogurt is a nutritional powerhouse by itself, a traditional recipe for Kurdish dumplings in yogurt will incorporate a few essential ingredients and nutrients that are vital for overall health. The three main components of the Kurdish dumpling are the dough, the meat stuffing, and the soup it rests in, which is a mixture of Kurdish yogurt and bone broth. As a combination of so many vital nutrients, dumplings can offer so many health benefits, including:
The High Protein Volume
Kurdish dumplings are often a filling of lamb, beef, or both meats which provides a robust source of proteins and the aforementioned essential amino acids, packing a major nutrition punch for the body.
Per serving, Kurdish dumplings in yogurt can provide an amazing 49 grams of protein. There has been a great emphasis in recent years on having more than adequate levels of protein in our diet; studies have found that consuming more than the recommended dietary allowance reduces body weight and enhances body composition by decreasing fat mass.
While the modern world has a greater focus on vegan sources of protein (which we will address shortly), it is part of traditional Kurdish cuisine to have meats like beef or lamb, which can address all of our daily protein requirements easily and effortlessly.
A Wide Variety of Essential Nutrients for Overall Health
Beef provides a number of essential nutrients, including:
- Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, which is necessary for the proper function of protein, sugars, and fats in the body. B6 is a necessary addition for the development of skin, nerves, the brain, and many other parts of the body and is essential for general optimal health, for example, preventing and treating chronic disease.
- Iron, a mineral your body needs for growth and development. An adequate amount of iron in the body can support energy levels, reduce fatigue, and improve both mental and physical performance.
- Beef also provides other essential components, such as phosphorus, niacin, zinc, vitamin B3, and selenium, and the latter is an essential trace element that provides many different functions in your body, including boosting the immune system, improving hair and nails, and can support a healthy thyroid.
Additionally, lamb is a rich source of many vitamins and minerals you can find in beef, including iron, phosphorus, niacin, selenium, zinc, and vitamin B12, but lamb can also be provide other bioactive nutrients and antioxidants that will positively affect our health, and these include:
- Glutathione, which is an amino acid involved in tissue building and repair, and is a critical part of immune system function.
- Taurine, which can be found in some energy drinks, but is another amino acid that has a number of important functions in the body, such as supporting both the immune and nervous systems.
- Creatine, a chemical naturally found in the body, but is often used as a supplement to aid exercise performance and increase muscle mass.
Vegan Dumplings: an Excellent Alternative
Although many people are actively trying to consume less meat, Kurdish cuisine is adaptable to people on a vegan diet, and vegan dumplings can provide a flavorful alternative, for example, when made with plant-based proteins like legumes, this can keep the protein content high while still helping someone stick to a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Please note that Kurdish yogurt is exclusively derived from animal milk, and is unsuitable for a vegan lifestyle, but Kurdish cuisine is incredibly versatile and can accommodate different dietary preferences. Anyone wanting to reduce their meat consumption for dietary or ethical reasons can still benefit from the array of flavors that Kurdish dishes offer.
Bone Broth
This has had a lot of attention in recent years, and while it was once a staple of many grandparents’ dishes, it had fallen out of favor for seemingly being unhealthy, but bone broth has made a big comeback in cookery circles and can provide a whole host of distinctive health benefits. Bone broth is a liquid made by boiling animal bones and connective tissue, which creatrs a stock many people use to make sauces, gravies, and soups; and in fact, can also be consumed as a hearty drink! Bone broth boasts some of the following benefits:
- Abundant in minerals that can build and strengthen your bones, and these include vitamins, amino acids, and essential fatty acids.
- Bone broth can benefit the digestive tract, as it is easy to digest and could prevent inflammation, partly because of the gelatin, which contains an amino acid known as glutamic acid; this helps to maintain the function of the intestinal wall, which can help treat and prevent what is known as “leaky gut,” a symptom of gastrointestinal diseases, arising from a broken barrier between the gut and the bloodstream.
- Rich in amino acids such as glycine and arginine, which have anti-inflammatory properties.
- It is high in collagen, the main protein found in tendons, ligaments, and bones. This is broken down into gelatin, which can help strengthen and build your body’s connective tissue.
- Bone broth can be a satisfying drink while also being low in calories; it is high in protein which means it can increase satiety, making it an excellent and refreshing alternative to hot drinks like tea or coffee.
- Bone broth may also be able to help people relax, with research suggesting that glycine can promote sleep and reduce daytime drowsiness, which can improve mental function and memory. Bone broth contains approximately 27.2 grams of glycine per 100 grams of protein, making it an excellent source of this amino acid.
The Essential Vegetables and Aromatic Spices That Can Boost Our Overall Health
Some of the key ingredients in Kurdish dumplings can be found in the vegetables spinach, leeks, and onions, which all contain prebiotics, which are compounds that can feed and grow your gut bacteria.
Aromatic spices such as cumin and coriander don’t just provide a flavorful punch to Kurdish dishes, but they also offer a wealth of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that can help support everyone’s overall health.
Kurdish Dumplings in Yogurt: A Winning Combination
Kurdish dumplings in yogurt is an amazing combination of nutrients that can benefit anyone’s health. If you haven’t tried Kurdish yogurt, this is not just a gastronomic delight that can give you insight into a culture of food, but it may also inspire you on a food journey of your own.
Kurdish yogurt is always an amazing addition to anybody’s diet because of the vast array of nutrients, and when you combine this with Kurdish dumplings, it is a delectable treat for the body, and is so hard to resist.
