Cuisine

Iranian (Persian)

An ancient, refined cuisine of saffron rice with a crisp tahdig crust, slow herb and fruit stews (khoresh), kebabs, and a love of sweet-sour flavours and fresh herbs.

Flavour character: Fragrant and gently balanced rather than hot: saffron, dried lime, rose and cinnamon; sweet-sour pairings (pomegranate and walnut, barberries); lots of fresh herbs; yogurt and kashk for tang.

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Savor the taste of Persian cuisine with this beautifully plated saffron rice dish, perfect for dinner.

History

Persian court culture influenced the cooking of the Arab Abbasid caliphate, the Ottomans and the Mughals of India: pilafs, fruit-and-meat stews, rosewater sweets and sherbets all show Persian roots. Saffron has been cultivated in Iran for many centuries, and Iran is today its largest producer. Rice became a prestige food from about the Safavid period (16th–17th centuries), when the steaming methods behind chelow and polow were refined.

Well documented

Geography and influences

A high plateau ringed by mountains, with a humid Caspian coast (rice, fish, herbs) in the north, arid central cities and the Persian Gulf to the south.

Ancient Persian court cuisine
Arab and Islamic cooking
Turkic and Central Asian cooking
Caucasus neighbours

Regional variations

Gilan and Mazandaran (Caspian): Rice, fish, sour fruits and herbs; walnut and pomegranate dishes such as fesenjan.
Azerbaijan (Tabriz): Kufteh tabrizi and Turkic-influenced dishes.
South (Bushehr, Khuzestan): Hotter, spice-forward Gulf cooking with fish, tamarind and chilli.
Central (Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd): Classic court dishes, beryani of Isfahan, Shirazi salad and sweets.