Iran

A slow-cooked Iranian stew of bone-in lamb, chickpeas, white beans, and potato, served as two courses: the strained broth poured over torn bread, and the drained solids pounded in the pot into a dense paste called gusht koobideh.

Ash-e Doogh is an Iranian yogurt-based herb soup with chickpeas, rice, and dried mint, a regional specialty of the northwest.

A thick Iranian soup of multiple legumes, abundant fresh herbs, and flat wheat noodles (reshteh), finished at the table with kashk (fermented whey), deeply caramelized fried onion, and dried mint bloomed in oil.

A Persian festive rice dish (polo) in which long-grain basmati is parboiled then sealed-steamed in layers with fresh dill and double-peeled fava beans, finished with bloomed saffron, and canonically presented alongside a separately braised lamb shank.

Barbari is a thick, oval-shaped Iranian leavened flatbread defined by its roomal — a cooked starch-and-oil glaze brushed on before baking — deep longitudinal finger-pressed scoring, sesame and nigella seed topping, and a chewy, glossy crust produced by high-heat deck baking.

A traditional Persian ice cream built on a saffron- and rosewater-scented milk-cream base, thickened with salep for a chewy, slow-melting body, studded with unsalted pistachios, and distinguished by visible ribbons of frozen whipped cream folded through the set mass.

A strong, deeply steeped loose-leaf black tea brewed in a two-stage samovar or stacked teapot, served piping hot in a small tulip-shaped clear glass and traditionally sweetened by holding a sugar cube (qand) between the teeth rather than dissolving it in the cup.

Iran's canonical national dish: charcoal-grilled lamb kebab — either ground-meat koobideh or fillet barg — served over a mound of saffron-butter basmati chelo rice with grilled tomato, raw onion, sumac, and a pat of butter.

A Persian long-grain basmati rice cooked in two stages — parboiled then sealed-steamed — producing individually separate, fluffy grains crowned with saffron-bloomed rice and anchored by a mandatory crispy bottom crust called tahdig.

Dolmeh Barg-e Mo are fresh grape leaves filled with a seasoned rice‑and‑herb mixture (and optionally ground meat), rolled into tight cylinders and braised in a tangy, acid‑forward broth.

Doogh is a traditional Persian fermented yogurt beverage, diluted with water, seasoned with dried mint, and optionally carbonated, served chilled.

A Persian slow-braised khoresh built on a thick paste of ground toasted walnuts and pomegranate molasses, cooked with duck or chicken until the sauce turns deep mahogany and the rendered walnut oil pools visibly on the surface.

A Persian slow-braised stew built on a foundation of deeply fried dark herbs, lamb, kidney beans, and dried Persian limes, served over white rice.

An Iranian sesame confection in which ardeh (tahini) is set with a hot sugar syrup into a dense, flaky block and served sliced as a sweet or breakfast spread-sweet.

A Persian charcoal-grilled dish in which young chicken pieces are marinated in bloomed saffron, fresh lemon juice, and grated onion, then skewered and grilled over live coals with continuous butter basting, producing a golden, smoky, citrus-fragrant kabab.

A prestige Persian kebab of thin-pounded lamb fillet marinated in saffron-steeped onion juice, threaded flat on wide skewers and grilled over live coals until the edges char and the center remains just-cooked.

A Persian meze of charred and pan-fried eggplant coarsely mashed with kashk (fermented dried whey) and deeply caramelised onion, finished with garlic-turmeric and dried mint bloomed in oil.

A Persian feast stew of poultry braised low-and-slow in a sauce built exclusively from ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses, reducing to a dark mahogany gravy with a defining sweet-sour-bitter balance.

A Persian stew of diced lamb and yellow split peas in a tomato and dried-lime sauce, traditionally crowned with a heap of fried matchstick potatoes.

A dense Persian herb frittata in which a huge volume of finely chopped fresh herbs is bound with a little egg and pan-fried, often with walnuts and barberries.

A large, paper-thin unleavened flatbread of flour and water, slapped onto the curved clay wall of a tonir pit-oven and baked in seconds at extreme radiant heat.

A Persian cold side of thick strained yogurt folded with finely diced or grated cucumber and dried mint, optionally enriched with raisins and toasted walnuts to produce a sweet-savoury contrast.

An Iranian condiment of thick strained yogurt blended with finely chopped or grated wild Persian shallot (musir), served as a cooling dip and side.

A smoky northern Iranian dish of fire-roasted aubergine mashed with garlic and tomato, then bound with beaten egg into a soft, deeply charred spread.

A composed salad of diced cooked chicken, boiled potato, hard-boiled egg, and brined pickle bound with mayonnaise, seasoned and served cold.

A fresh, uncooked Persian salad of finely diced cucumber, tomato, and onion tossed with lime juice, olive oil, and dried mint.

An Iranian whole-wheat sourdough flatbread baked on a sloped bed of hot river pebbles in a wood-fired oven, producing a large, dimpled, chewy bread.

A festive Persian saffron rice layered with candied orange peel, barberries and slivered pistachios and almonds, served as a celebratory pilaf.

Shirini Nokhodchi are delicate Persian cookies made from roasted chickpea flour, sugar, and oil, scented with cardamom and rosewater, that crumble to powder in the mouth.

Sholeh Zard is a Persian saffron‑infused rice pudding dessert perfumed with rosewater, sweetened with sugar, and garnished with cinnamon and almonds.

A thin, soft Persian leavened flatbread baked against the wall or floor of a clay tanour oven, producing a smooth, lightly blistered surface and a tender crumb.

Tahdig is the crispy, golden crust that forms at the bottom of a pot of steamed rice, often flavored with saffron, potatoes, or bread.

A variant of Persian tahdig in which a sheet of flatbread (lavash) is laid in the bottom of the rice pot, frying into a golden, crisp bread crust beneath the steamed rice.

Torshi is a Persian table condiment of vegetables—classically turnip, cauliflower, and garlic—preserved whole or in pieces in grape or white wine vinegar with salt and aromatics, served cold alongside virtually every Iranian meal to provide sharp, cleansing acidity.

A Persian dish of fluffy saffron-tinted basmati studded with tart sautéed barberries, served alongside saffron-braised or roasted chicken.

A paired Persian sweet of lacy saffron funnel-cake spirals (zulbia) and small okra-shaped choux fritters (bamieh), both deep-fried and soaked in fragrant saffron-rosewater syrup.