In Iraq, kleicha is a traditional snack popular during Eid al-Fitr.
Kleicha is a Middle Eastern cookie strongly associated with Iraqi celebrations. The most familiar version is filled with dates, but Iraqi households also make varieties containing walnuts, pistachios, coconut, sesame, figs or sugar. Cardamom is a common flavoring, and some recipes use rose water or saffron for extra aroma and color.
The cookies come in several shapes. Date-filled pieces may be formed into rounds or patterned molds, while nut-filled versions are often shaped like crescents or half-moons. They are typically prepared for both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, then offered to visiting relatives and guests with tea or coffee.
Kleicha is sometimes compared with ma'amoul because both are filled festive pastries, but they are not identical. Kleicha generally uses a wheat-flour dough and usually does not contain semolina, whereas ma'amoul is commonly associated with semolina-based dough. The cookie also has cultural importance beyond Muslim Eid celebrations: Iraqi Jewish communities have traditionally prepared related kleicha for Hanukkah, and Assyrian communities bake similar versions for major Christian holidays.
Its festive role makes kleicha the canonical Iraqi answer, rather than a generic sweet such as baklava.