Iranian (Persian) Food
Iranian Customs
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Iranian (Persian) Food

 

Iran has a rich culinary culture its ifferent regions have their own especial foods. All Iranians are really hospitable people who are always happy to cook you a feast.Typical Iranian main dishes are combinations of rice with meat and vegetables. The usage of rice was traditionally most prevalent as a major staple item. Iranians used to cook rice in a way to make “Tahdig” at the bottom of the rice pot, Tahdig is a crispy, golden-brown layer with potato, bread or rice which is eaten as a side dish.

Culinary culture of Iran has interacted with other countries like Indian and Turkish Cuisines. A wide variety of spices are used in Iranian cuisine to flavor food. Two most typical traditional Iranian spices are saffron and turmeric. Travelers to Iran can buy Iranian spices even as souvenirs from Persian traditional bazars in different Iran cities such as Isfahan, Shiraz and etc.

Typical Iranian cuisine includes several forms of kebab (with ground meat or skewered chunks of meat or chicken kebab), stews and soups. Kebabs can be served either with rice or bread. Stew (in Persian: “Khoresh”) is accompanied by a plate of rice. Stews’ main ingredients are usually vegetables, meat and its broth. Two popular stews are: “Khoresh-e Fesenjan” that is a stew flavored with pomegranate syrup and ground walnut and “Khoresh-e Qormeh Sabzi” that is a truly delicious stew with herbs. There are also various rice-based Iranian dishes:
“Tahchin”: very delicious food made with rice, yogurt, egg and chicken


Jeweled rice: rice with barberries, raisins, carrots, orange peels and almonds
Or rice with sour cherries and slices of chicken and red meat
Or rice with lentils and raisins
Or rice with green beans


There are other Iranian dishes like “Kashk-o Badenjan” (mixture of eggplant and whey), “Dolmeh” (stuffed vine leaves), “Kufteh” (big meatball) and many more.


Iranian foods usually needing hours of preparation. The main dishes are served for lunch and dinner, and the basic traditional Iranian breakfast consists of sweetened tea with flatbread, cheeses, butter & honey or jam. Iranian families used to have their meals on a table cloth that is spread out over either a table or more traditionally on the floor.


Appetizers in Iran includes items like different kinds of pickles, Shiraz-i Salad (made with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in really small pieces), yogurt with cucumber or spinach. Iranians also used to eat raw onion and fresh herbs (mint, tarragon, basil, green onions and radishes) with theirs main dishes.
Like foods, different cities of Iran have their own desserts and sweets. Two popular Iranian desserts are traditional saffron ice cream and “Faludeh” (vermicelli mixed in semi-frozen syrup of rose water and sugar). Rose water is an essential ingredient in lots of Iranian desserts. “Fereni” is another dessert that is a rice pudding flavored with rose water, and “Shol-e Zard” is a saffron rice-based dessert also flavored with rose water.


Traditional beverage in lunch and dinner is called “Dough” that is a cold yogurt drink. Another drink that is widely consumed in Iranian culture is tea (black tea), it’s typically the first thing offered to a guest. Keep in mind that alcoholic beverages are prohibited in Iran.

 
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