Khash (dish)

Khash is a boiled dish made from cow or sheep parts—such as the head, feet, and tripe—with ancient origins across the Caucasus and Middle East, though no definitive evidence pinpoints a single origin. Variations of the dish appear in Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Mongolia, North Macedonia, Turkey, and several Persian Gulf states.

The word “khash” is commonly traced to the Armenian word *khash* (խաշ) meaning “boiled meat,” though the verb form *khashél* is non-standard. Early references to the dish, then called *khashoy*, appear in writings by medieval Armenian authors like Grigor Magistros (11th century), Mkhitar Heratsi (12th century), and Yesayi Nchetsi (13th century). In Persian, the term *pacha* literally means “trotter,” and the combination of a sheep’s head and trotters is called *kalle-pāče* (“head and trotter”). Other names for the dish include *khashi* and *xash* (Georgian and Azerbaijani), as well as *pacha* (Persian, Albanian, Neo-Aramaic, Mesopotamian Arabic, Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian, Greek), *kalle-pache* (Turkish, Azerbaijani), *kakaj šürpi* (Chuvash), and *serûpê* (Kurdish). Note that Hungarian uses *pacal* or *pacalpörkölt* for a tripe stew, not the same dish.

In the South Caucasus, the medieval Armenian medical text *Relief of Fevers* (1184) describes khash as having healing properties, such as relieving a stuffy nose, and recommends eating it with wine. For illness, khash made from the legs of a young lamb or kid was advised. Armenian khash is prepared by boiling cow or sheep parts—head, feet, and tripe—and is typically eaten early in the morning during winter, served with garlic, salt, black pepper, and lavash. In Armenia and the wider South Caucasus, it is often considered a post-party meal, believed to combat hangovers (especially among men) and commonly accompanied by a shot of vodka.

In Iran, *kalle-pache* (meaning “head and trotter”) consists of a sheep’s head, including the brain, and trotters, seasoned with lemon and cinnamon. It is traditionally eaten as a breakfast soup, especially in cold weather, and is commonly prepared in specialty shops. The dish is also traditional to Afghanistan.

In Iraq, *pacha* is made from a sheep’s head, trotters, and stomach, all boiled slowly and served with bread soaked in the broth.