[citation needed] The Arabic word quzi قوزي comes from Ottoman Turkish kuzı قوزی meaning 'lamb'.

[2] In Iraqi cuisine, it is usually prepared by stuffing a whole lamb with rice, vegetables, spices and nuts and slow-cooking it over a closed or submerged oven.

[2] In some places in the Middle East it is buried in a pit containing burning coal or charcoal to get the smoky flavor.

There are many variations to this technique such as in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, where it is called madfoon, cooked by being wrapped in aluminium foil and kept on an open heat source.

In Jordan, and Syria it is known as zarb; the meat is portioned into smaller pieces and kept along with vegetables and bread dough so that the flavors are enhanced.