Persian food is a term that is established for the dishes prepared in Persian cuisine, Persian cuisine and Persian food are the terms for Iranian food, but since Iran is known as Persia in the west, we call it Persian food.
Persian Food History:
Iran is an old country with a rich culture. It has over 2500 years of civilization history, which is remarkable in the world. Because Iran included an extensive area in the past, it seems like Persian food contains some parts of Turkish, Afgan, Russian, and Greek cuisine. Iranian kings had pretentious thrones and, as a result, a pretentious cuisine. Although there is much evidence about how Persian thrones and civilization shaped, there is not much information about the Persian cuisine available.
There is no such evidence available about the food in Iran before Islam. However, there are plenty of historical items that expose Persian cuisine after the Safavian throne. Since Safavieh Kings became the rulers in Iran, rice became an essential part of Iranian food. As claimed in books and old notes, the food that chefs prepared for the royal family was incredibly fancy and delicious. Their food included Persian rice such as Chelow or Polow with a stew-like Ghormeh Sabzi, Kookoo, Ash, and other Persian dishes.
How did they eat Persian Food?
According to shreds of evidence, Iranians used to share food on big tray-like plates with two or three people. They did not use to use napkins. Instead of napkins, there were particular types of equipment called “Aftabeh Lagan,” which Iranians used for washing their hands before eating the food. A servant was in charge of carrying and bringing Aftabeh Lagan. They mostly sat on the floor and put the food on a cloth called “Sofreh.” The eaters sat around the Sofreh and ate the food. Utilize of Sofreh is still prevalent in Iran. The size of Sofreh changes by the number of people sitting around it.
As historians claim, spoon and fork entered Persian cuisine during the Qajar throne. Possibly Russians introduced spoon and fork to Iranians. Before that, Iranians used to eat food with their hands. Moreover, a jug of Sharbat was served next to the food. They battered Sharbats with wooden spoons.
Persian Food’s variety:
Persian foods are similar to those of Persian carpet since they are shaped at Persian houses by Iranian girls and house workers. We can claim that food is different in different parts of Iran. Typically Persian food has been shaped based on three main aspects, including the available components such as veggies, herbs, and grains. Another aspect that affects Persian food is the weather. For example, in the north of Iran, especially Azerbaijan parts, foods mostly have a hot temper since the weather is usually cold. However, southern and central cities have more foods with cold temper since the weather is hot mostly. Another aspect that has affected Persian food is cooking equipment types.
Persian food has a critical difference from other foods prepared in other cuisines of the world. Usually, Persian foods take a notable time to cook, while foods from other cuisines such as Chinese food or English food are prepared more quickly.
What is the typical taste:
In a glimpse, many people may think that Persian food can be spicy like Indian or Mexican food because Iranian chefs use a lot of spices in Persian food. However, Persian food has one of the most delightful and moderate tastes in the world. All effort of chefs is to moderate the taste of the food to avoid sharp and spicy tastes. From appetizers to desserts, you can not find a strong taste in Persian cuisine.
Lunch; The most important meal!
In Persian cuisine, they mostly focus on cooking and eating lunch. From the highest levels of society to the lowest ones, they eat a light breakfast and focus on lunch, typically. You may see Iranian houseworkers that have an essential task of cooking lunch that makes them occupied every day. The typical ingredients of a Persian breakfast include bread, cheese, butter, and Murabba (jelly) with Persian tea. However, the lunches usually include Persian rice with stew, such as Ghormeh Sabzi and other side dishes. Dinner is very similar to lunch in quality but mostly different in quantity.
Persian Food chefs are the most patient people in the world:
A very particular aspect of Persian cuisine is the pace that foods get prepared with it. They usually cook foods on low heat and for long times. Even the foods that are fried should be cooked and fried on low heat and for longer times. Therefore, cooking Persian food needs adequate patience and temper. It would be best if you thought about it, like creating a masterpiece of art.
Moreover, Persian cuisine includes plenty of side dishes such as Sabzi Khordan, Torshi, different types of salad, etc. preparation of some side dishes next to the main course needs patience, too. Sometimes for preparing some dishes such as Torshi, you need to wait for months. However, the final masterpiece worth it!
