IRAN Cuisine
In addition to numerous historical, cultural and natural attractions, Iran has a great variety of traditional delicacies. Persian foods are most appreciated for their nutritional value, easy accessibility of raw materials, novelty, and lack of chemical preservatives. They also capture well the subtlety of Iranian culture and play an excellent role in communication between generations.
IRAN Cuisine
In addition to numerous historical, cultural and natural attractions, Iran has a great variety of traditional delicacies. Persian foods are most appreciated for their nutritional value, easy accessibility of raw materials, novelty, and lack of chemical preservatives. They also capture well the subtlety of Iranian culture and play an excellent role in communication between generations.
Side dishes are definitely a must on the Persian table. Persian side dishes are vegetarian and stimulate the appetite. They are usually served on the dining table alongside the main course. They are there to compliment the main course and not to override it. Here are the most common side dishes to be found in Persian cuisine:
Fresh bread is an obsession for many people. In Iran the bread is bought fresh every day and sometimes for each meal. Iranians use a variety of bread depending on shape, flour type and baking technique. The popular ones are Lavash, Taftoon, Barbari and most importantly, Sangak, which is baked on hot pebbles.
Sabzi khordan is a mix of herbs like mint, tarragon, basil and cilantro, and vegetables such as radishes and scallions etc which are eaten raw and by the handful.
This is olives mixed with a pomegranate sauce, crushed walnuts and aromatic fresh herbs. It’s a traditional and full of flavor side dish from the Northern part of Iran.
This is the general term for pickled vegetables. Iranians pickle everything with aged vinegar! Torshi has a rich sour taste, while Shoor is the salty version.
A perfect complement to meat-heavy meals such as kebabs is Doogh, a chilled plain yogurt drink, often seasoned with mint and with other dried herbs sprinkled on top. This drink is surprisingly refreshing on hot days.
With any type of rice, you can have Tahdig, the golden-brown crispy layer of rice, potato or bread crust formed at the bottom of the pot and by which every Persian cook’s worth is measured. At Iranian family gatherings, there are always plenty of leftovers, but the one dish that disappears completely is Tahdig.
A traditional Iranian side dish from Isfahan. Although it’s often dubbed yogurt stew, Khoresht Mast is an unusual dish that’s often served as a side dish or an appetizer. Made with a combination of sugar, rose water, yogurt, saffron, egg yolk and crushed lamb neck meat, it is topped with barberries before serving.
This is a traditional Iranian salad made with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, lemon juice or vinegar and dried mint. Green peppers (Paprica) can be added to enhance the flavor and texture if desired. The salad is named after Shiraz, a city in the southwest of the country.
Iranians eat yogurt with the main meal in different forms, depending on the individual’s taste. Some serve it without any additives, while others mix yogurt with diced cucumber and peppermint, which is very refreshing. Sometimes it is served with Persian shallot, and it is eaten mainly with Kebabs.
I believe this is a borrowed side dish. As one of the most popular side dishes in Iran, this salad includes lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and grated carrots as a garnish. Most Iranians have lettuce salad with their hot food. It is served with mayonnaise, fresh lime and olive oil.
Mirza Ghasem is a tasty vegetarian appetizer which hails from the Northern Iranian Caspian region. It’s made with roasted skewered eggplant and is seasoned with garlic, tomato, turmeric, oil or butter, and salt. The seasoned eggplant is then mixed with eggs.
This flavorful Iranian appetizer combines grilled or oven-roasted eggplants and curd – a byproduct typically made with yogurt whey. The main ingredients, along with additional onions, garlic and various spices are mashed until creamy, and garnished with crushed walnuts, mint, and fried onions.
Most Persian side dishes are simple, made with minimum ingredients, and are mainly served to cool and freshen the mouth. Be sure to try some when you travel to Iran!
If you look at the restaurant menus in Iran you may think that the country is not an ideal destination for vegetarians. It is because lots of restaurants offer only a small selection of Iranian cuisine. They are limited in choice and are most popular for meat-focused options like kebabs. In addition, unlike in other countries, most dishes are prepared in advance, which is an added difficulty when choosing an option directly from the menu.
However, this should not scare you off. Some restaurants and cafes offer a vegetarian version of stews like Ghorme Sabzi or Fesenjan. You can also order polo (the mixed rice dishes) such as Sabzi polo or Baghali polo. In addition, there are other foods which will satisfy any vegetarian taste. Here are 11 options you can find in Iran:
Ash is an Iranian stew-like soup. You’ll find ash in many varieties, depending on where you are in Iran and who happens to be stirring the pot. One tasty variety of ash is Ash-Reshteh, the Persian noodle soup. It typically features noodles, vegetables, beans and herbs. It’s often topped with mint, fried onions and some curd.
Ash-e jo is another variant which combines barley, various beans and sometimes lentils. The soup is characterized by its creamy texture and a slightly sour taste provided by freshly squeezed lemon juice or curd.
Adas Plow is a delicious combination of rice layered with lentils and a topping with raisins and onions.
Polo Mash is another rice dish mixed with mung beans and is usually served with yogurt or Shiraz Salad.
This type of Polow is cooked with different ingredients and methods all over the country. The meat-less version, called Dami Goje, is composed of rice and tomato, and maybe some cubed potatoes.
Eggplant is to Iran what potatoes are to Britain. In Iran, you can buy eggplant literally by the bucketload and there are good eggplant-based vegetarian dishes.
This popular dish is a perfect example of how eggplant can add depth to a meal.
Mirza Ghasemi, a tasty appetizer made with roasted skewered eggplant and seasoned with garlic, tomato, turmeric salt and eggs.
Kashk-e Bademjan which combines grilled or oven-roasted eggplants and curd (whey). It is usually garnished with crushed walnuts, mint, and fried onions. The last two options are sometimes served as a side dish but it is very common to have it as a meal.
Kuku Sib Zamini is a variety of the famous Iranian fritter which employs potatoes, eggs and occasionally onions as the base ingredients. This potato version is a small round fritter, usually pan fried until golden brown.
Kuku sabzi is an aromatic Iranian dish resembling an omelet, or the well-known frittata. It consists of finely chopped herbs combined with lightly beaten eggs and a variety of spices. The mixture is usually pan-fried on both sides until greenish brown. Slices of this fragrant treat are a staple at special occasions and Iranian holidays, especially at Persian New year.
Falafel is a dish consisting of deep-fried balls or patties made from ground chickpeas. The best Falafel in Iran is made in the southern provinces where there is a population of Arabic speaking Iranians, although you can find good quality falafel everywhere in Iran. It is usually served in sandwich form with tomato and lettuce or cabbage slices.
Sambooseh is a popular street food, usually presented in a triangular shape. It is made out of fried thin bread stuffed with potatoes, onions, parsley and a generous amount of local spices. Luckily, you can find this delicious fried treat of potato and herbs everywhere.
The Persian dishes I have mentioned are the ones which can be found all over the country. It may not be that easy to find them all in big, fancy restaurants, but in smaller ones, especially the old, traditional ones, you will always find these well-loved dishes.
All in all, vegetarian travelers should not be too concerned. The good news is that in big cities such as Tehran and Isfahan, vegetarian restaurants are starting to open. Cafes are found in many cities and they always have something to offer as a veggie dish. Your guide can definitely help you find more options as he or she will have inside knowledge of the less well-known restaurants.
Like to cook your own Persian dinner? Ati’s cooking class is a good option to consider. It is an excellent half day class where you will discover the gastronomy of Iran and have a hands-on experience in authentic home cooked Iranian dishes.
Hello! My name is Ati and I am a cooking guide in Kashan. Together we will learn about Persian culinary tradition and prepare exquisite dishes that are seldom revealed to travelers. We start by buying the ingredients from an authentic Iranian bazaar or vegetable market, and then prepare the ingredients in our kitchen. If you would like to cook your own Persian lunch or dinner, I am here to help. Please drop me a line on What’sApp at +98 9138140656 or email me at foodiepersia@gmail.com
My wife and I flew back to our home from Persia last May where we spent eleven wonderful days! We had an amazing trip by car with our private guide Moein Gholami throughout this vast country filled with a rich culture, ancient architecture, traditional Persian cuisine, unique and colorful bazaars in every city and so much more. We were able to discover a beautiful land of contrasts where the people are very friendly and eager to meet foreign visitors. We were delighted to have our friend guide Moein driving us around and bring us to many of our favorite places and monuments in small towns or big cities and help us with our shopping and choice of menus! He was always very punctual and saluted us with a big smile! MAMMUN Moein!"
My husband and I spent two weeks last September in Iran and we had a fantastic time with Moein. He was our guide/driver and he arranged our trip according to our wishes and our needs. He speaks perfect English so we didn't have any problem understanding each other and he told us a lot of interesting things about the attractions we visited and about Iranian culture and habits. Everything in our trip was great: hotels, restaurants and all arrangements. We had also enough time for visiting everything we desired and we never felt to be in a hurry: so we also had the opportunity to speak with a lot of Iranians and discover their thinking. This is why we strongly recommend Moein and be sure you'll have a great experience in Iran.
My husband and I spent 12 days in Iran between December and January. It was an unplanned trip; on the way to the airport I consulted some forums and came across Moein. He proved to be a very prepared and competent guide who did not bore us with long redundant explanations, drove carefully in the chaos of the cities and introduced the country in a very calm and conscious way. In addition to the fact that Moein speaks perfect English (he was also an English teacher) and has a sense of humor, a special point about him is his perceptiveness; he understood immediately what kind of travelers we are and what things we like best during our trips. In other words, he was very flexible in satisfying our requests and he included some spontaneous unscheduled plans that proved to be the best moments of the trip. If I had to recommend a trip to Iran to friends, I would have no doubt in suggesting Moein, because I am sure that much of the success of the trip was because of him!
We are travellers from Australia and have just spent thirteen days with Moein doing a tailored made route from Tehran to Shiraz with several stops. We spent some time online with him agreeing the detail of the itinerary and accommodation, and always found Moein to be helpful, cooperative, and full of useful advice on how to make the trip and itinerary better. Before committing, we spoke via WhatsApp and found him to be polite, constructive, and responsive to our comments. When we met him in person all those characteristics continued for the journey, and we truly enjoyed his company. He speaks excellent English, is interesting to talk to, and is committed to giving his guests a great experience of Iran. We based our decision to go with Moein largely on Tripadvisor reviews, plus the quality of his responses when we were negotiating a possible itinerary. He exceeded our expectations, as did Iran.
To arrange our trip in Iran we checked a lot of travel reviews, read many touristic guides, books and magazines. We came across some travel reviews referring to a local guide Moein Gholami. We visited his Internet site and sent him a short inquiry mail. His answer was fast and punctual: our itinerary draft and related quotation request soon turned into a travel proposal, very detailed with reference to places to visit, hotels and timings. Moein was immediately available to follow our requests and give us suggestions on eventual alternatives. He brought us to eat in traditional Iranian restaurants, explaining how dishes were made encouraging us to taste a lot of typical dishes that we could not even have been able to know (and to order) without him (dishes on the Menu were written in Farsi). Our trip to Iran turned out to be above our expectations and our friendly guide and driver certainly made a big contribution to a very pleasant trip.
We had the pleasure of a 15-day tour of Iran with Moein in August of this year. I first contacted Moein after reading TripAdvisor reviews and visiting his Persia Passenger website. Between us we organised a very full tour, covering all the usual destinations and a few not so populated locations. Moein is very experienced and knowledgeable on all things Iran, and for us was the perfect choice as our tour driver/guide - he is a very safe driver, a necessity on Iran’s roads! The accommodation he suggested and booked for us was faultless, sometimes amazing (the caravanserai in Marand was exceptional) and always comfortable after a long day of travel and sight-seeing. Moein was always on time and flexible and there was no expectation that we should stick with the plan if something off the itinerary came up. Most of all though, we had some great conversations and Moein’s sharp sense of humour made the tour good fun! We would like to travel to Iran for a second tour to see more of the incredible places that time prevented, and if we are lucky enough to do so we will definitely look to enjoy Moein’s company again. Cheers Moein!
We decided to go to Iran with a local certified tourist guide; almost by chance, we got in contact with Moein Gholami and we could not have made a better choice. He was very helpful and always available to reply to our questions and we decided together the tour stops. When we arrived in Iran, he very well organized everything: the organization of the days, times for car journeys, times for visiting and for have a break and/or lunch. He left nothing to chance. The holels he choose for us were amazing: we slept in caravanserais, in traditional hotels and in an hotel in the rocks (in Kandovan). The service, the cleanliness and the breakfasts of the hotels were always very good. Moein drove for long but he was always a careful and a precise driver. During the time spent in the car we had the chance to talk, asks questions about the country and sometimes to laugh to tears! y look to enjoy Moein’s company again. Cheers Moein!
My brother and I completed an 8 day private tour of Iran from Shiraz to Tehran and fell in love with the country. To anyone that is still not 100% decided on visiting Iran, I urge you to just book it and you will not be disappointed. The people, the food, the culture and sights are amazing. We even tried cancelling our further travels so we could stay in Iran for longer. We did our private tailor made tour with Moein and had the best time. Very knowledgeable, did everything he could to make our time the best possible and helped us to engage with as many local people as possible. It felt like we were travelling with a good friend to which he now is. I cannot recommend Moein anymore, he is by far the best guide I have ever had. For weeks prior to our arrival in Iran, we were in constant communication with Moein about what our interests are so Moein could suggest the appropriate routes and highlights. We are now already planning when we will be able to visit Iran again (hopefully next year) and we will be travelling with Moein again.
We are two females and decided to arrange our own itinerary. We were very fortunate to come across the website of Moeim Gholami. Definitely the best find of our Iran trip. Moein's extensive knowledge and deep love of his country made every site visit a rich experience. He was much more than a driver/guide. He became a friend and went way beyond the remit of a guide to help us out with hotel bookings, advice on routes and Persian cuisine and customs. Moein is a graduate with an English major and speaks English so well he can express his sense of humour with frequent jokes. I recommend Moeim without reservation. He is an excellent example of all the best qualities of the Iranian people and will add quality to your Persian experience.
After reading some reviews on Tripadvisor we found the guide who we think was ideal for us, Moein. We contacted him by e-mail and he answered almost immediately. He's been very kind and helpful to answer all our questions about the trip by email and WhatsApp. We're a couple very interested on history, arts, architecture, culture and lifestyle of every country we visit and we asked to Moein to set us a trip with a focus to these features. He organized for us a wonderful 12 day tour touching the beautiful and different cities of central Iran responding completely to our needs. He managed everything professionally, from hotel bookings to the attraction's entrance and led us to discover Iran explaining everything in a perfect English, moreover he gave us the possibility to customize the plan to our will. Moein with his calm and patience made us feel always at ease, he reflects the character of Iranian people: kindness, politeness and willingness. Thanks to him we learned a lot about Iranian history and lifestyle.
We spent 11 days in central Iran during Easter holidays and our trip has been organized very well by Moein. He took care of everything: transport, hotel, ticket entrance. He is a good driver, a good guide as well, he speaks a very good English, he is absolutely reliable and he is available to satisfy our requests and helped us with his valuable advices. We hope to come back to Iran and to travel with Moein again.
I've spent half of August in Iran with my parents and I'd say it has been a great vacation! Moein brought us not just in famous cities, but also in very peculiar villages and little towns. We enjoyed sharing our culture with our guide and compare Iranian traditions with the Italian ones. The primary concern of Moein is to build a friendship with his clients, not just being your guide. He likes to have lunch or dinner in your company and having nice conversations with you. Iran was a different vacation, I felt very involved in its population, surely I will come back in future.
My husband and I, after listening and reading about the wonders of Iran and its people, decided to leave but not having much time and not loving organized trips, we opted for a private guide / driver. We started last May 4th and returned on May 12th. Reading on the web we also came across the Persia Passenger agency that we contacted. Moein, who is an official guide, responded promptly and with him we agreed on the stages and travel arrangements. Moein, who speaks perfect English has been our driver and guide and was without doubt an added value to this trip. He has booked our hotels, many of them in incredible historical residences and has organized visits to historic cultural and natural sites. Our lunches and dinners have always been real experiences, in typical but never "touristic" places. Moein was always attentive to our needs but never intrusive and introduced us to many aspects of true Iran that we could hardly have learned by traveling independently, he was also a prudent driver even in the chaos of big cities, making us feel safe and secure in his car, we also spent a wonderful evening at his home where we met his family.
My wife and I organized a 13-day trip with Moein between October-November 2019 which proved to be one of the most beautiful of recent times. Iran it is a simply fantastic country and the Iranians are the kindest and most helpful people on average that you can meet. Although traveling to Iran on your own is feasible, however relying on a guide makes life much, much easier. Moein arranged everything especially booking all the hotels and the domestic flight which is kind of difficult to do before arrival. The tour was discussed and agreed with various emails and WhatsApp messages and the price was reasonable in relation to what he offered. Moein’s guiding was exemplary; he knows the places perfectly and explains them to you in remarkable English. He also drives in a very prudent and careful way, which is essential in Iranian cities where if I drove I would crash after 10 minutes! All in all, we are really happy to have chosen this solution. Moein proved to be a nice, helpful, reliable and flexible guide and also our good photographer who portrayed us in all poses.
We stayed in Iran 7 days right at the beginning of the year. I had contacted Moein via email at the end of October and I discussed our itinerary with him to discover this wonderful country. The choice proved to be a winning one, he immediately proved very helpful and prepared. The hotels in which we stayed turned to be above our expectations and also the local restaurants that we tried! Thanks to his support, we were able to plan the tour quickly (from Tehran to Shiraz with several stops) which were quite difficult given limited time we had. The merit of a tailor made tour is having a guide who is so prepared and kind to follow you every day especially if the time is short considering the long distances. I highly recommend anyone to visit this country, it is definitely worth the trip. Obviously you should do it with Moein, a highly recommended guide.
