Umm Al Bagilla

Umm Al Bagilla (literally “Mother of Broad Beans”) is a well-known street vendor in Baghdad, famous for selling boiled bagilla (broad beans or fava beans) in the city’s popular neighborhoods and markets. She would wander through narrow alleys, carrying large copper pots brimming with hot beans, serving them with salt, lemon juice or narenj (bitter orange) juice, and sometimes with chili or sumac turning a simple dish into a beloved winter snack.

This meal was always sold at very modest prices, affordable for everyone, especially laborers and those from poorer classes. She was often found outside schools and mosques, attracting children and students, or in public parks during the cold days offering warmth, comfort, and satiety.

Women and children would gather around her, sharing stories and gossip while enjoying their bowl of bagilla a scene full of simplicity and community spirit. For many women, this trade was a means of supporting their families; they practiced it alone or with the help of their daughters.

Despite the spread of fast food chains and modern restaurants, Um al-Bagilla still appears in some traditional Baghdad markets and neighborhoods, serving the same old dish with familiar rituals preserving its nostalgic, heritage-rich flavor.