When it comes to Iranian cuisine, kebabs and fragrant saffron rice always come to mind. Both are undeniably delicious, but there’s more to Persian food than these dishes.
Iran’s culinary heritage spans different climates and cultures, from the Caspian Sea’s green coast to the country’s hot deserts. It’s inspired Iranian cooks to make dishes with distinctive flavors. Today, we’ll take you on a virtual tour of Iran’s provinces to introduce their gastronomic specialities that go beyond kebabs and rice.
Culinary Delights From the Caspian Sea
The provinces located along the Caspian Sea, including Gilan and Mazandaran, have fertile land and an abundance of seafood. Here, Caspian cuisine is made using fresh fish and Caspian rice with vegetables.
Well-known dishes from the Caspian region include mahi shekam por (stuffed fish). The name of this Persian dish means “full-bellied fish” and is made during Nowruz or the Persian New Year. Its ingredients have a symbolic meaning behind them: The herbs represent rebirth, and the fish symbolizes life, two things associated with the New Year.
Mirza Ghasemi is another famous Caspian dish. It’s an eggplant stew topped with eggs, often served as a side dish. Since many Iranian dishes are meat-based, restaurants offer them with mirza ghasemi on the side.
Additionally, northern Iran’s abundance of greens has created dishes like baghali ghatogh, a fragrant stew containing pacheh baghali or Rashti fava beans. If you don’t have these beans at home, you can use lima beans, kidney beans, or regular fava beans. Baghali ghatogh can be eaten in all of Iran’s northern regions, although it’s primarily associated with the Mazandaran and Gilan provinces.
4 Delicious Dishes from Western Iran
Western Iran’s provinces, including Bakhtiari, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, and Lorestan, have introduced dishes cooked in rugged terrain and rooted in pastoral tradition. The region’s cooks use lamb, dairy, and grains for flavorful dishes.
If you’re dining in Bakhtiari, try avriz. Lamb meat is cooked with oil, onions, and leeks, minus water. It’s then seasoned with essential spices, salt, and pomegranate paste and slow-cooked until the dish is ready to be served.
You’ll find slow-cooked Persian stews in western Iran, too. One tasty example is the Khalal stew or Khoresht Khalal from Kermanshah. Almond kernels, veal meat, black barberry, saffron, oil, onions, salt, and dried limes are usually needed for this yummy and healthy dish. You’ll get Iranian rice with Khalal stew.
Finally, Ilam has kufte sirabi that’s made with ground rumen, onions, fragrant herbs, animal fat, spices, thyme, and mountain savory. Cooks pound the rumen twice for a tender texture and combine it with grated onions, garlic, and eggs. This mixture is then filled with spices and other ingredients for a smooth dough that’s formed into almost walnut-sized meatballs. Finally, the meatballs are deep-fried.
Central Iran: Offering a Wide Variety of Dishes
Central Iranian cuisine consists of a vast selection of food and local recipes. Both are extremely invaluable to the history of Iranian cuisine. Furthermore, central Iran’s kebabs, stews, and desserts make Iranian cuisine diverse, alongside other dishes.
Isfahan is famous for beryani, a dish containing finely chopped lamb or mutton, lamb lungs, fragrant spices, and onions. The mixture is made into thick patties, like our hamburgers, and cooked until they’re browned and crisp yet tender.
In Yazd, you can try shuli with white beets and celery. Nothing beats eating the homemade kind, which locals swear by. Otherwise, you can indulge in the shuli offered at the Silk Road Hotel. It’s somewhat wonderful, plus the hotel is an excellent place to sample the dish.
Southern Iran: Making Seafood the Star of Every Meal
Now, we head south, where various kinds of fish are cooked into tasty dishes. Moreover, the shrimp is considered the most popular and best kind of seafood in the Persian Gulf. Southern Iran’s cooks have made secret recipes using this ingredient.
Besides seafood, you can find soups with vegetables, cereals, and sometimes meat in southern Iran. When it comes to signature dishes, though, a spicy fish stew called ghalieh mahi tops the list. The dish may be cooked in different ways, but it typically has cilantro, fenugreek, and tamarind. Additionally, ghalieh mahi contains fish caught in southern Iran, like sangsar, hamoor, and shooride. Plenty of garlic and a little red-hot pepper make this stew so delicious as well.
Khorasan’s Notable Dishes at a Glance
In Khorasan, people can get raw materials such as plant-based products and livestock. Both are used to cook most of the province’s traditional dishes that have been nationally and globally renowned for their flavors.
The province’s famous dishes include sholeh mashhadi, a healthy dish with different legumes. First made in the Qajar era, this dish is hearty enough to be a complete meal. Sholeh mashhadi is one kind of aash (thick soup) that’s always cooked and served to families and guests in Mashhad. It’s made with various types of vegetables, legumes, and sometimes meat, and is typically eaten with bread.
If your tummy has more space for dessert, fill it with sholeh zard. The name of this saffron rice pudding means “soft and yellow,” perfectly describing its texture and appearance. However, it doesn’t capture the dish’s rich and delightful fragrances.
3 Iranian Breakfast Foods Worth Discovering
Locals in Iran’s different regions enjoy more than bread and cheese for breakfast. Here are some Iranian breakfast dishes to try when starting your day.
- Haleem - A dish that always comes with sugar and cinnamon, although some add salt to it
- Adasi - One of the healthiest and most delicious Iranian breakfast foods, made with lentils
- Kaleh pacheh - This dish is cooked with sheep’s head and legs that are combined with fried onion, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
If you want to try any of these dishes, we recommend finding top local eateries that serve them on an online restaurant directory.
Taste the Best of Iranian Cuisine Today
While kebabs and rice have captured the stomachs of food lovers worldwide, they’re not the only Persian dishes you can try. Regional Iranian dishes are also significant parts of Iran’s culinary heritage. From the Caspian provinces to Khorasan, each Iranian region offers unique dishes that’ll make your mouth water and your tummy full.
Want to learn more about Persian cuisine or find Persian restaurants near you? Check out the United Tribes blog for easy-to-cook recipes or use the business directory on our Iran/Persia community page.
