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Persian Dinner for Four

Food in Persia
Persian food is an essential part of the social and cultural aspects of Iranians. Food is the centerpiece of most social gatherings and plays an important role in the dynamics of Iranian social relations. Moreover, Persian banquets have been essential to the courts of Persian Kings and have played an important part in the development of Persian culture. The banquets served as the gathering place for poets, musicians, artists and important nobles. From this, Iranians have developed a rich and variant menu of foods that includes many tasteful vegetables, meats, and fruits. Most meals have a combination of stews, rice, and legumes. Like many cultures, Persians also have their specialty desserts, snacks, and breads.

Persian food is known for it’s strong sweet-and-sour character, and also its subtle but persistent use of spices.

Varied and tasty, Persian food is almost always cooked with spices or herbs but never pungently hot. The staple item of daily diet is wheat bread baked in a number of distinctive shapes, sizes and thickness and preferably eaten straight from the oven with fresh herbs and cheese.
The most popular dish in Tehran is the Chelou Kabab, a delicacy of rice and grilled lamb. The lamb, marinated in lemon and onion juice, charcoal grilled only a few minutes before serving, is piled on to hot chelou, with tomatoes. Butter, sumak (a sour berry) and raw egg yolk accompany the dish along with fine basmati rice. Pulous are an integral part of the diet, with the imaginative use of fruits and meat in it. Abgusht is a meat stew which can be converted to a meat soup with more liquid and Aash is always a soup in the Persian meal. The Persian Khoresh is a combination of meat and poultry with fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices to make a sauce.

Fruits are an integral part of the diet and Persian cucumbers are regarded as fruits. Verjuice, the juice of unripened green grapes, is widely used in Iran for a really sour flavor. Herbs are an important part of the persian meal, so is spinach.

Samovar, Abdug (Yoghurt drink) and Tea are Persia’s favorite beverages.
North Iran is famous for its fish, particularly the sturgeon, from which the world's finest caviar is obtained, and also produces almost all of the country's rice and tea.

Persian poets have often praised the "daughter of the vine", one of their epithets for wine, but the quality was somewhat variable. Excellent beer and vodka were also produced. All alcoholic beverages have been banned since the revolution.

Tea in Persia
Tea, prepared in a samovar and drunk with lump sugar from tiny glasses, is the most common beverage in Persia.When you visit someone's home, or they visit yours in Persia, the constant request is "chaay?", which is an offer of hot tea.
If your tea is too hot, you can pour some of it in your saucer to cool. Some people then drink the tea from the saucer while others will pour it back into the cup.
Then comes the fruit: Cherries (bunched in fours wrapped together with foil around the stems), peaches, and apples served with small cucumbers called khiar. Often, a plate of cookies is also offered.
Thirst Quenchers and Desserts
Lemonades and sour cherry drinks were a real treat. Another heat-beater is faludeh, which is blended fruit such as watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew with a touch of sugar.
Ice cream in Iran is made with rosewater. When ice cream is served with a starchy dessert (very sweet!) also called faludeh, the combination is called makhlut (means mixed). Rice pudding is made in huge pots and distributed to friends and neighbors on religious holidays. This pudding is yellow from saffron and is usually decorated with sprinkled cinnamon and sliced pistachios.
Parting gifts
Pistachios and gaz (white nougat candy with pistachio nuts) as well as noghl (small yogurt covered crunchy candy) and sohan (like peanut brittle except with pistachio nuts).


Persian Meals
Lunch and dinner meals are identical in Persia. Meals are served on carpets covered with a leather cover called sofreh. This is covered with a white cloth and the carpet is bordered with cushions for seating. Dinner plates are set with or without cutlery (Persians prefer to eat using their fingers)
The meal usually includes,
•    A rice dish served with a khoresh.
•    Abghust (Soup) served with baked poultry or seafood.
•    A mixed green salad.
•    Yogurt, Pickles, Flat bread
•    Fresh fruit
•    Abdug (Yogurt drink) is usually served as the beverage.
•    Tea and Sharbat (fruit sherbet) are taken as refreshments between meals.
•    Kababs and Kuku are favorite foods served on picnics or as short eats.

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