Long before it became famous as a battlefield in the fight against the Islamic State group, the Iraqi city of Mosul was known for its ancient cuisine, enriched by Syrian, Turkish and Persian recipes.

Mosul chefs make savory meat pies known as kubbeh and spicy flatbread smeared with ground beef, which can be found in Middle Eastern restaurants the world over. But among Iraqis the city is known for pache - animal heads, intestines and other parts boiled in giant vats.

It's an acquired taste, to be sure. But for many of Mosul's far-flung residents, displaced by more than two years of war, it's a reminder of home.