Iranian Cuisine Guide

Rice is the staple food in Iran and the Iranian cuisine is mainly rice dishes cooked with fresh vegetables, herbs and meat mainly lamb and mutton. The Iranian kebabs are scrumptious delights with a very unique flavour. Some of the most popular dishes not to be missed are chelo khoresh (rice topped with vegetables and meat in a nut sauce), polo chele (pilau rice), polo sabzi (pilau rice cooked with fresh herbs), polo chirin (sweet-sour saffron-coloured rice with raisins, almonds and orange), adas polo (rice, lentils and meat), morgh polo (chicken and pilau rice), chelo kababs (rice with skewered meats cooked over charcoal), kofte (minced meat formed into meatballs), kofte gusht (meatloaf), abgusht (thick stew), khoreshe badinjan (mutton and aubergine stew), mast-o-khier (cold yoghurt-based soup flavoured with mint, chopped cucumber and raisins) and dolmeh (stuffed aubergine, courgettes or peppers).

Iranian’s favourite beverage is chay or tea, served hot, black and strong. Fresh fruit and vegetable juices, milk shakes and yoghurt drinks are also very popular. Mineral water is readily available throughout Iran. Alcohol consumption is strictly forbidden especially to Islamic Iranians. But it is permitted on special permissions to non-muslims and for certain specific religious occasions like the wine communions in churches.