From the earliest times Persians have been known for their hospitality, whether that of the tribesman offering rest and refreshment to a weary traveler, or that of the urbane city dweller offering a sumptuous repast to his guests.
Tradition requires that guests or visitors be served only the finest food available, and always in the most bountiful manner possible. Accounts of early travelers to Iran indicate that the dishes served have not changed appreciably over the centuries.
Persia’s geography, history and cultural influences have shaped the diversity of ingredients and the methods of cooking in one of the world’s oldest and most sophisticated cultures. Persia – or Iran – has been subjected to repeated invasions, but it has maintained its culture, language and identity throughout the centuries.
The vast size of the country encompasses a wide array of local dialects, lifestyles, regional traditions and customs, not to mention an extraordinary variety of landscapes and climates.
All these are reflected in the country’s food. In the north, around the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, the landscape is lush and green and as a result of plentiful rainfall there is great diversity of fruit, vegetables and herbs.
The northern regional cuisine features simple, fresh notes of taste and aroma, and there is a preference for sweet and sour flavours, as opposed to spicy. Further south, in the provinces near the Persian Gulf, where the climate is drier, the season for fresh ingredients is much shorter and the variety available is not as great.
There is also a long tradition of trade through the sea routes with spice-rich countries like India. The resulting cuisine is more complex in taste than in the north of the country, with long notes of spices, tamarind and chillies.
In this post I’m going to take you through top foods you must try when you’re visiting Iran. So get your Iran visa and visit Iran!
I’d like to adjust or correct from the introduction of this article:
“From the earliest times Persians have been known for their hospitality, whether that of the tribesman offering rest and refreshment to a weary traveler, or that of the urbane city dweller offering a sumptuous repast to his guests.”
Tribesman? Iranian civilization is non-clanic and non-tribal. It has been that way since the time of the Persian Achaemenids 2500 years ago, the first Persian Empire.
Tradition requires that guests or visitors be served only the finest food available, and always in the most bountiful manner possible. Accounts of early travelers to Iran indicate that the dishes served have not changed appreciably over the centuries.
“Persia’s geography, history and cultural influences have shaped the diversity of ingredients and the methods of cooking in one of the world’s oldest and most sophisticated cultures.”
There are no non-native or foreign elements to be found in Persia’s ancient culture or cuisine.
Culinarily, all the ingredients to prepare Iranians dishes with are native to the Iranian Plateau.
Geographically, Iran is a Western Asian country located on the Eurasian Plate.
No other country in the region is located on the Eurasian Plate which explains Iran’s uniqueness in terms of culture and cuisine.
Iran is a Plateau, hence the entire country is covered in mountains.
The mountainous Iranian Plateau has functioned as a natural fortress against invaders, especially from the South with the help of the Iranian Zagros mountain range.
“Persia – or Iran – has been subjected to repeated invasions, but it has maintained its culture, language and identity throughout the centuries.”
I mean this bizarre statement has been already answered a few lines above by the article itself:
“Accounts of early travelers to Iran indicate that the dishes served have not changed appreciably over the centuries.”
Nothing changed basically.
Invaders come and go. What remains are Iranians, Iran’s ancient civilization and Iranian culture.
Invaders in Persian history only functioned as a minority elite group ruling over a majority Iranian population. They had no influence on Persian culture, cuisine or traditions. This should give one a basic idea on Iran’s strength as an ancient civilization.
“The northern regional cuisine features simple, fresh notes of taste and aroma, and there is a preference for sweet and sour flavours, as opposed to spicy.”
Iranian cuisine is characterized by its herbal, sweet, sour and bitter nature. It is never spicy. Iranians are literally known for not handling spice.
“The resulting cuisine is more complex in taste than in the north of the country, with long notes of spices, tamarind and chillies.”
Not true at all. Southern regional Iranian food is still not spicy just like counterpart in the North.
I would suggest to revise the introduction of this article.
What an introduction this article had, only further contributing to ‘ .
“From the earliest times Persians have been known for their hospitality, whether that of the offering rest and refreshment to a weary traveler, or that of the urbane city dweller offering a sumptuous repast to his guests.”
? Iranian civilization is – and -. It has been that way since the time of the rule of the , the first Persian Empire 2500 , by the way.
“Persia’s geography, history and cultural influences have shaped the diversity of ingredients and the methods of cooking in one of the world’s oldest and most sophisticated cultures.”
. There are – found in Iranian cuisine or culture.
More like the opposite way around: .
Iran is a country located on the . No other country in the region is.
“Persia – or Iran – has been subjected to repeated invasions, but it has maintained its culture, language and identity throughout the centuries.”
You even answered this insincere statement yourself, when you stated the obvious:
“Accounts of early travelers to Iran indicate that the dishes served appreciably .”
.
Invaders come and go. They only function as a minority elite group ruling over a majority native population. Their existence as Persia’s ruling force never changed Iran’s cuisine, people, language, culture or traditions. ‘ ‘ .
“The resulting cuisine is more complex in taste than in the north of the country, with long notes of spices, tamarind and .”
Some rare regional dishes do not represent the overall Iranian cooking culture.
.
Iran’s cuisine is the complete opposite to anything spicy.
, , , .
That is literally what Iranian dishes are internationally known for.
– – .
Salam I really L O V E LOVE iranian foood bc I’m from I R A N IRAN but born in A M E R I C A AMERICA aka Los Angeles but I love Iranian food ,such as polo gheime,polo ghormesabzi,reshte polo and tahdik
I really like Iranian food, I think it is delicious, I would like to try it
I have had the best Persian food made by a Persian woman. I think Americans are really missing out on some of the most fragrant delicious food ever! Full of flavor but not spicey.
I’m making Gormeh Sabzi today.
Hey I’m Persian anyway and yes you’re right it’s really cool that you have tasted these Iranian foods
Finally, some non-Iranian said it! Persian cuisine is NOT spicy.
Sour, bitter, herbal and sweet? YES!
But never spicy. Iranians are literally known for not heing able to handle spice.
Making Iranian foods are so hard but they are so tasty if you want to go past you should try them because they come from old culture
Hello
I am iranian man and thachin was better than all of them and you have to try kalam polo shirazi its the best foid in iran
I love zereshk polo , It’s so delicious!
Nice! But Spanish foodies are much better and healthier!
If you had tried, you would never have said that.
totally agree :)
Never Compare Iranian Food With Other Countries , Iranian Food Are The Best Food That I Have Ever Tried
Polo addass is another fragrant and delicious Persian dish…but if I had to pick the nation’s favourite dish it would have to be Ghorme-sabzi!!
Really
It’s called Addas Pollo not, “Pollo Addas”.
The Iranin dish is called called Addas Pollo, not ‘Pollo Addas’.
I am Italian and I have tried Iranian dishes, it’s wonderful!
Italian foods are great
It is not widely used for foreign travelers in northern Iran, but in Mazandaran province and the city of Sari, which is located in the contemporary (Diwan forest) in northern Iran, you can see delicious food and the main flavors of the region and be sure. Which are not materials. The food of the people of this region is natural, local and healthy
It’s called Divan forest. The letter ‘w’ does not exist in Persian.
And all Persian dishes and Iranian cuisine are nutritious, healthy and delicious.
It’s called Divan forest. The letter ‘w’ does not exist in Persian.
And all traditional and regional Iranian dishes are characterized by their healthy, nutritious, delicious and natural nature.
I am from Iran and persian food is very good and my favorit food is ghormeh sabzi and Ash_e reshteh
my great grandma is the only one that can perfectly make all these dishes, if i follow these recipes do you think it’ll turn out the same as hers
try to follow what your grandmother does… each family has their own way of cooking these dishes. If you can not learn from her, look up various recipes of each dish…… the flavours are so subtle. GOOD LUCK!
hi alexa
I’m iranian.
Try typing the names of foods in Google in Persian and translating their recipes from Google Translator so that you can make food like us.
I’m from lran .oneof the intresting food in lran is Ash-e Doogh .
It’s very good.
Woww!!! the Persian foods are so interesting!! I love that
Of course, in addition to these foods, you can enjoy the taste of authentic Iranian and northern dishes by staying with women artists by staying in the eco-tourism resorts of the north.
Persian dishes are wonderful.
Regional Iranian dishes from the North and South of Iran are all delicious and are characterized by their herbal, bitter, sour and sweet nature.
Iranian cuisine is not spicy as this author erreneously has written. Iranians are quite literally known for not being able to handle spice.
Persian food is very good and nutritious.
Persian food is wonderful
Thanks for this article! I Love Persian food! ;)
Thanks for this nice article about Persian food :)
Witch food exactly?