My Cookbook: Souk to Table 
Kaymak / Geymar with Kahi (Iraqi clotted cream)
There is no denying that Geymar served with Kahi is the ultimate indulgent breakfast of Iraq. Layers of buttery pastry, topped with a dollop of geymar, and smothered in honey, date molasses or simple syrup. And don’t forget the cup of hot tea. Believe it or not, this luxurious breakfast, also known as Kaymak in Turkey, can be made at home!
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What is Geymar or Kaymak?
Geymar, as it is known in Iraq, is a thickened cream typically made from the milk of water buffalos that roamed southern Iraq’s marshes. Water buffalo milk is known to have a large percentage of fat (typically 40% – 60%) and therefore it was the best milk to use for making geymar. The milk is cooked on low heat and then cooled overnight, resulting in a thick layer of cream. The cream is extracted by rolling it and creating geymar rolls (which we call a “fal”). It is typically served for breakfast with honey, date molasses, or simple syrup on flaky pastry called Kahi.
Ask any Iraqi you know, and they will tell you about the nostalgia and memories attached to this national dish. It is most certainly served at every celebration and on a regular day from time to time. Having left Iraq when I was 5, I learned about and came to appreciate geymar from my parents. And once introduced to it, there was no going back. Now I make it at home!
Geymar is also known as Kaymak in Turkey, and it’s just as popular there as it is in Iraq, as I came to find out when I visited Istanbul in 2019. Kaymak was served on every breakfast spread, with a plate of honey close beside it. It is also widely consumed in the Balkans (Kajmak), as well as Iran, Afghanistan, and Greece. I also learned that it’s very similar to Malai, which is a clotted cream from the Indian subcontinent.
How do you make it at home?
Because in North America (Canada for me!) I can’t access water buffalo milk, my family has come up with the next best thing, which is a mixture of whole milk and 35% whipping cream in a 1:1 ratio. For those unfamiliar with whipping cream, it is in liquid form and you can usually find it in the milk aisle. It may also be called heavy cream – just make sure it’s at least 35% fat.
What ingredients do you need?
- Whole milk, and the better the quality the better the result. That means organic, grass fed milk if possible. Pasteurized milk should work.
- 35% Whipping cream or heavy cream which is in liquid form and can be found in the dairy aisle
- For the Kahi, puff pastry
- For serving, honey, date molasses or jam
The process (which is easy!)
- In a shallow pan (the best thing to use is a sheet pan), add the whole milk and the whipping cream in equal ratios. A shallow pan is needed to maximize the surface area and get a nice roll of cream. You can use a regular pot, it works too. It just may not be an easy to roll layer of cream
- Without stirring, place the pan on the stove on medium heat for about 10 minutes, until you start to see small bubbles form. It’s important not to boil it.
- When bubbles form, reduce heat to low and leave it for 2 hours (no stirring!)
- After 2 hours, allow it to cool to room temperature then place it in the fridge overnight for a minimum of 12 hours
- Skim the layer of cream from the top by cutting a strip and rolling it using a spoon (see below)
- Either discard the milk remaining or use in baking or to make homemade yogurt
Can I use the oven?
I know that British clotted cream is made using a low oven temperature. However, Geymar is slightly different in both taste and texture and relies on the low heat on the sheet pan to thicken it properly and achieve the right texture. I have never made it using the oven!
How to serve Geymar / Kaymak
What is Kahi?
Geymar is typically served with a pastry called Kahi in Iraq. Kahi is a buttery layered pastry, very similar to the South Asian paratha. I have never made it from scratch, because the easiest hack for Kahi is puff pastry! It’s a really similar type of dough and tastes delicious with it. You can usually find puff pastry in square shapes, ready to bake. If not, you can always buy ready made puff pastry and roll it out, then cut it into square shapes, and bake it per package instructions. I have also tried to re-create Kahi using layers of phyllo dough, but ends up being too crunchy, and I prefer the puff pastry.
In Mosul, the town I am from in Iraq, geymar is most commonly served with Iraqi bread vs Kahi. In Turkey, Kaymak is served with bread as well. But no matter what your carb of choice is, it is typically always served with either honey, date molasses (dibis), simple syrup or a variety of jams. My absolute favourite way of eating it is in Arabic bread with a drizzle of honey.
I almost forgot. It’s always served with a hot cup of tea.
Storage instructions
Geymar is best consumed fresh or within 1-2 days, so I would only make as much as you will eat. Since it is quite heavy, each person will usually only have a dollop or two, so keep that in mind! If storing, keep it in an airtight container for up to a maximum of 5 days, although the quality will start to diminish. Another alternative if you’ve made too much is to place it in airtight containers and freeze it. Thaw it at room temperate and it’ll be as good as new.
For more breakfast recipes, check out:
Kaymak / Geymar with Kahi (Iraqi clotted cream)
Ingredients
For the Geymar:
- 1 litre whole milk, organic
- 1 litre 35% whipping cream, may also be called heavy cream
For the Kahi and Serving:
- puff pastry squares, 1 per person
- Honey
- Date molasses, optional
- Jam, optional
- Arabic bread, optional
Instructions
- In a shallow large sheet pan (I used a 16 x 12 x 1 inch sheet pan) add the milk and the whipping cream without stirring. Do this while the pan is already placed on the stove so you don't need to transfer it and risk spilling
- Turn the heat to medium and wait for bubbles to start forming. This should take about 10 minutes
- Once bubbles form, turn the heat down to low and leave it for 2 hours. Do not stir!
- After 2 hours, allow it to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge overnight for a minimum of 12 hours
- To serve, use a knife to cut a long "strip" of thickened cream and roll it onto itself using a spoon. Do this until you run out of cream. Discard the remaining milk or use in baking / to make yogurt
- Bake the puff pastry squares per package instructions until golden
- Serve the geymar with the puff pastry and honey, date molasses and/or jam per preference. You may also serve it with Arabic bread
Notes
- It is best to use high quality milk, so preferably grass fed organic milk. Pasteurized should work.
- You can also use a regular pot to make geymar. It will work but you may not end up with an easy to roll cream layer
Hello! I was so excited to try this for the first time at home after eating it on vacation in Turkey. I thought I followed your steps perfectly, but even on my stoves oval middle burner, the sheet pan got large bubbles (6+ inches in diameters)ans some areas always looked like bubbles may be boiling even though I had it on the lowest setting. After the 2 hours an after I covered it and put it in the refrigerator 12+ hours, I took it out to cut it and found it was super thin… I took a video in hopes I can email you pics and videos and get your feedback of what I may have done wrong.
Hi Shannon! Sorry to hear the rolls were thin for you. The thickness of the cream really does depend on the quality of the cream/milk used, and also the heat. Some stoves run hot, and sometimes the actual sheet pan you use holds a lot more heat than maybe the pan that I use, and hence the cream will be at a higher temperature. I would perhaps try this again in a large pot if you have one. Sometimes it works better in different vessels! Hope that helps. 🙂
I followed your recipe (in a pot) and it was on the lowest setting and the smallest burner (gas stove). It started boiling after like 30-40 mins so I took it off.
What can I do to avoid this next time? I ended up getting a very thin layer of delicious cream though but just wondering how to do better next time? Do I just let it boil for 2 hours?
Hi Amina,
Thank you for sharing this receipe! I have questions though,
1. what is the reason for not stirring after combining the milk and whipping cream?
2. after making the geymar, I want to use the leftover geymar milk. Is there any Iraqi drink that use this geymar milk? I saw a Youtube local video of a shop in Baghdad, where they seems to use the geymar milk with honey.
Looking forward for your reply, thank you!
Best regards,
I can’t understand why mine went wrong. After 1 hour all liquid was evaporated or burnt to the bottom of the pan / turning brown. How are you supposed to put it on the stove in a 12×16 sheet pan with gaps in the middle of the burners? I followed the recipe using 3.5% grass fed milk and 35% whipping cream Sincerely, a Canadian married to an Iraqi, trying my best .
Hi Caitlyn! I’m sorry to hear it didn’t go well for you. All I can think of is that your heat was likely too high. The liquid should definitely not evaporate – step 3 in the recipe card has you turning the heat down to low right after you see some bubble formation. The lowest your stove will go – this will keep the cream warm and promote the cream to rise to the top but it should not evaporate any of the liquid. As for the sheet pan method – I have a bridge on my stove which helps me bridge two elements and allows the sheet pan to get heated all over – I know not all stoves have this so in this case, I suggest using a big pot and making a smaller quantity perhaps. Please let me know if you try to attempt it again – I’m sure your Iraqi partner is going to love it!
Question, if I may. If I get Kaymak a the local Turkish store, how is it used?
Hi Elli, Humaira from the HP team here. Kaymak is often served for breakfast with bread or a type of flaky pastry called kahi along with honey, date molasses and a variety of jams. If you don’t have access to kahi you can serve it with puff pastry squares that have been baked up until light and flakey and golden. Don’t forget to have it with a cup of tea! Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!
Salam Aleikum. Is it the same procedure with only buffalo milk? I found some and I want to try it:)
It should be yes, provided the type of milk you have has enough fat content. Some buffalo milk varieties may not be as fatty so do check on that!
It’s 7,5% fat, do you think it will work?
perfect recipe. I made it in a pot, and simply folded the top layer in half. it did not look as thick as yours though. We usually eat it with Sammoon and date syrup. Young lady, you have brought back sooo many lovely memories, thank you.
Aww I am so glad you enjoyed it along with the memories Samira! Thanks for the lovely feedback.
I made this last night and took it out of the fridge this morning, I made it exactly as directed (although I was skeptical) it came out absolutely perfect. I’ve always made it in the oven and always used only 35% cream (no milk) but the texture was 1000% better using both milk and cream. This is how I will make it from now on! I am a Canadian married to an Iraqi and I made this for my husband and his family and they all loved it. This recipe made us all very happy!
Thanks for the recipe! My first encounter with gaimer was when I visited Iraq as as 10-year old in the late 70s and absolutely loved it! This takes me back, for sure!
Question: After this was made, I had it stored with some of its milk. It was later accidentally stirred together with the milk and lost its thick texture and became soupy. Any suggestions on restoring it? I was thinking of reheating it per your instructions. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
I want to try it because really loved it when I went to Turkey. Would like to know how to make the yoghurt with the leftover milk?
Good question! I don’t have the specific instructions for that yet but I will definitely work on it 🙂
Hi. I’ve always made this in the oven and would like to make on the stove top instead. I have a 12×16 sheet pan and induction stove top. Should the pan be on 2 burners on low? I have a knob that turn on the top left burner with a whole band down to the front left burner, like a whole strip, Or should it be centred on 1 burner on low?
Hi Ireney! I also have an induction stove and this is exactly how I did it: I used the two burners and the band on low. The best thing to do is have as much of the surface of the pan on the burner so two will do the job!
This recipe is an absolute winner, like all of your others I’ve tried. This is just like authentic Malai you only get back home because of differences in milk. We make this a few times a year using your recipe and it is so so satisfying. Thank you!
This recipe is close to my heart so it makes me so happy to hear you enjoy it too Sana!
my iranian-born parents were craving what we call “sarshir” since the stuff here in the US is nothing like what they had at home. I made this recipe using a half-sheet pan and halved the ingredient amounts because they only had one single pint of cream left at the store lol. it was very easy and came out awesome! thanks so much for sharing your recipe and technique since the sheet pan definitely increased the recipe yield.
This makes me very happy to hear! I’m so pleased it worked out for you. This is one of my favourite indulgent recipes. 🙂
Wait so we dont use the oven for this recipe we use a stovetop? What if we have an induction stovetop, would this work as well and we place the sheet pan on the induction stovetop?
Thanks!
Yes that’s right, stove top. I have an induction too and I bought stainless steel sheet pans, so those will work!
Hi!
Could you share a picture or name of the brand you use for whipping cream?
I bought the Land O Lakes rich & creamy heavy whipping cream. It says it has a total fat of 5g (6%) and saturated fat of 3.5g (18%) so I am unsure if that is really enough fat lol. But it was the fattiest heavy cream I could find!
Hello, I loved to find the recipe. I made my husband from Iraq very happy with the Geymar. He told me it is almost as good as the Geymar from Iraq.
I find out we do have water buffelo milk in my country but they say the milk has max 15% fat. So I want to surprise my husband by making Geymar from buffelo milk. Do you know if they use only milk in Iraq or put something else in it? Maybe you have a recipe for me? I really want to make my husband happy by making the original recipe, but I am afraid I will not make it good because they say the fat is not as high as it is in Iraq. I hear they put butterfly from the Buffelo in it, is this true? I hope you can help me
Hi Iris! I’m glad you loved this recipe. As for Iraq, I believe they only used buffalo milk but like you said it was really high fat content. The quality of the buffalo milk is also based on the type of buffalos, their environment, etc. I only know how to make it this way in the recipe, not using buffalo milk since i have no access to it. It is pretty close to the Iraq one!