Iranian cuisine

Characteristic Iranian spices and flavourings such as saffron, cardamom, and dried lime and other sources of sour flavoring, cinnamon, turmeric and parsley are mixed and used in various dishes.

[14][15][18] Among the writings available from the Middle Persian scripts, the treatise of Khosrow and Ridag, points about stews and foods and the way of using them and how they are obtained in the Sassanid period are found as valid references in compiling the history of cooking in Iran.

Naturally the customs and habits of the Arabs influenced the Iranians [citation needed], specifically in Abbasid period.

The older one is entitled "Manual on cooking and its craft" (Kār-nāmeh dar bāb e tabbāxī va sanat e ān) written in 927/1521 for an aristocratic patron at the end of the reign of Ismail I.

The second surviving Safavid cookbook, entitled "The substance of life, a treatise on the art of cooking" (Māddat al-ḥayāt, resāla dar ʿelm e ṭabbāxī), was written about 76 years later by a chef for Abbas I.

The introduction of that book includes elaborate praise of God, the prophets, the imams, and the shah, as well as a definition of a master chef.

The information provided is about dishes prepared at the royal court, including references to a few that had been created or improved by the shahs themselves.

[20] The usage of rice, at first a specialty of the Safavid Empire's court cuisine, evolved by the end of the 16th century CE into a major branch of Iranian cookery.

While the eggplant is "the potato of Iran",[25] Iranians are fond of fresh green salads dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, chili, and garlic.

[26] Verjuice, a highly acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes or other sour fruit, is used in various Iranian dishes.

Advieh or chāshni refers to a wide variety of pungent vegetables and dried fruits that are used in Iranian cuisine to flavor food.

Persian hogweed (golpar), which grows wild in the humid mountainous regions of Iran, is used as a spice in various Iranian soups and stews.

A khoresh typically consists of herbs, fruits, and meat pieces, flavored with tomato paste, saffron, and pomegranate juice.

A polow dish includes rice stuffed with cuts of vegetables, fruits, and beans, usually accompanied by either chicken or red meat.

[54] There are numerous traditional native and adopted types of snack food in modern Iran, of which some are listed within the following table.

In Iranian culture, tea (čāy) is widely consumed[59][60] and is typically the first thing offered to a guest.

[64] Traditional coffeehouses were popular gatherings, in which people drank coffee, smoked tobacco, and recited poetry—especially the epic poems of Shahnameh.

[71] While non-alcoholic beer (ābjow) is available from legal outlets, other citizens prepare their alcoholic beverages illegally through the minority groups[72][73][74] and largely from Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey.

[84][85] Foods that are specific to the Iranian region of Baluchistan include tanurche (tarōnča; tanurče), a local variety of grilled meat that is prepared in a tanur, doogh-pa (dōq-pâ), a type of khoresh that contains doogh, and tabahag (tabâhag), that is meat prepared with pomegranate powder.

[84][85] The southern coast of the Caspian Sea, which consists of the Iranian provinces of Gilan, Mazanderan, Alborz, and Golestan, has a fertile environment that is also reflected in its cuisine.

[88] This type of rice dish is also eaten there as a breakfast meal, either heated with milk and jam or cold with cheese and garlic.

Caviar fish roes also hail from this region, and are typically served with eggs in frittatas and omelettes or eaten simply with lavash and butter.

Smoked fish (Persian: ماهی دودی, Romanized: Mahi doodi) is also popular in Gilan[91] and usually incorporated into rice by steaming the two together.

Another notable dessert from this region is Reshteh Khoshkar (Persian: رشته‌خشکار), consisting of fried rice flour dough filled with sugar and nuts.

[99] In southern Khuzestan, there is also a variation of kufte that is known as kibbeh and is made of ground meat, cracked wheat, different types of herbs and vegetables and various spices.

Major staples of Iranian food that are usually eaten with every meal include rice, various herbs, cheese, a variety of flat breads, and some type of meat (usually poultry, beef, lamb, or fish).