It is one of the thickest flat breads and is commonly topped with sesame or black caraway seeds.

A notable characteristic of the bread is its top skin that is similar to pretzels or lye roll's skin due to the Maillard reaction that occurs during baking.

It is widely known as Persian flatbread in United States and Canada.

The Hazaras of Khorasan were known by the name Barbar until the first Pahlavi king period.

While the term "Barbari" for this tribe was replaced by "Khavari" by royal edict of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi,[4][5][6] the bread itself kept its title and is now commonly known as "nān-e barbari" in Iran.