Traditional Iranian food combines the savory of fresh herbs and spices like saffron, merges it with the sweet of pomegranate, barberry and cinnamon and tops it all off with a flourish of nuts, dried fruits and beans.
Many coveted ingredients are native to Iran, including pistachios, almonds, walnuts, saffron, mint, oranges, pomegranates and grapes. Iran has a variable climate with four distinct seasons, and unlike other parts of the Middle East, where the dry terrain limited what food could be grown, the ancient Persians transformed vast stretches of arid land into fertile oases via underground aquifers that drew melted snow water into the desert. A bright, sensuous, fruit-and-herb filled cuisine was born.
Lamb is Iran’s favorite meat, but kid, beef and chicken can also be found. Fish is common as well, with swordfish being a famous specialty of the areas near the Caspian Sea.
Iranians enjoy green salads with olive oil, and during the appropriate seasons, eat vast amounts of olives, grapes, pumpkins and all kinds of fruits either eaten fresh or cooked with meat and rice. There are always plenty of dried fruits like figs, dates, apricots and peaches.
Iranians often drink cold water with meals, but tea is the true national drink.
Advieh or chāshni refers to a wide variety of pungent vegetables and dried fruits that are used in Iranian cuisine to flavor food.
One of the traditional and most widespread Iranian spices is saffron, derived from the flower of Crocus sativus. Rose water, a flavored water made by steeping rosepetals in water, is also a traditional and common ingredient in many Iranian dishes.
Persian hogweed (golpar), which grows wild in the humid mountainous regions of Iran, is used as a spice in various Iranian soups and stews. It is also mixed with vinegar into which lettuce leaves are dipped before eating.
Typical Iranian cuisine includes a wide variety of dishes :
3- Aush
4- Bread
5- Cold drink