Erbil's donkey kebab craze: Clever publicity stunt unveiled

Dubai: In the bustling heart of Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, a small restaurant recently stirred widespread attention by claiming to serve a dish never before seen on local menus: grilled donkey meat.

A video shared by an Iraqi influencer went viral after he and two friends visited what was billed as the world’s first donkey meat restaurant. The diners sampled kebabs and grilled meat, enthusiastically describing it as some of the most delicious they had ever tasted.

Skeptical but intrigued, one of the men asked the restaurant owner directly: “Is this really donkey meat?” Without hesitation, the owner replied, “It’s 100% Kurdish donkey meat.”

The restaurant’s interior reinforced the claim — its walls were adorned with framed pictures of donkeys, from playful illustrations to lifelike portraits. The quirky décor quickly became a talking point, adding to the restaurant’s mystique and reinforcing the sense of culinary daring.

It was later revealed that the entire claim was part of a clever marketing strategy. The owner admitted the restaurant does not, in fact, serve donkey meat at all. The viral stunt, he said, was designed to attract attention and drive foot traffic — and it worked. The video racked up thousands of shares and reactions online, with many expressing curiosity, amusement, or disbelief.

Though donkey meat is consumed in certain countries — including parts of China and Central Asia — it remains a taboo in much of the Middle East, including Iraq. The restaurant owner’s hoax played on that cultural boundary, blending shock value with humour.

Online, reactions have been mixed — some applauding the creativity, others calling it deceptive. As Erbil’s food scene evolves and modern marketing tactics take root, even a fictional dish like “donkey kebab” can become a viral sensation — at least for a while.