Ancient Persian cuisine with its abundance of wheat, rice, honey, almonds, raisins, pomegranates, aromatic spices and herbs like parsley, cilantro, dill and mint, goes back more than 2,500 years. Throughout centuries, the Persian Empire freely mingled its rich culture through war and trade along the Silk Road with China, India, Rome, Greece, Turkey, the Ottomans, the Middle East and Caucasus, the Republic of Georgia and Eastern Europe. The result is a vibrantly delicious, exotic and influential cuisine unlike any other.
In “The New Book of Middle Eastern Food,” Claudia Roden observes that the Arabs, through war and empire-building conquest, brokered the culinary marriage of Persia, the ancient Mediterranean and the Near East. Arab warriors (Bedouins) had simple cooking styles and austere culinary habits. The aristocratic and opulent brilliance of Persia captivated them. Eventually the Arabs, “infiltrated and diluted” by Persian, Byzantine, Greek, Asian and Egyptian conquered peoples, adopted and spread this marvelous, melded cuisine.
Quince, grapes, lemons, pomegranates, melons, cucumbers, spinach, pistachios and roses originated in Persia. Persian growers refined other types of trees, fruits, vegetables and culinary flowers. The unique flavors of lamb, sour cherries, pomegranates and syrup, plums, dates and figs mingled in Persian cuisine with dried limes, tarragon, cilantro, basil, dill, tamarind, barberry, saffron, rosewater and fenugreek leaves. Persians marinated meat in pomegranate juice and seasoned grilled chicken with sugar and saffron. They stuffed grape leaves with rice, herbs and meat.
Greek visitors adored Persian desserts like halvah, almond cookies and pastries with walnuts and cardamom, scented with rose and orange flower water and puddings of rice, milk, honey, butter, eggs and rosewater. The Christian Crusades returned to Europe with rose petal jam, pomegranate, quince, barberries and mulberries. Arabs adopted Persian rice, eggplants, spinach, oranges, lemons and tarragon.
High mountain ranges between plateaus meant little contact between communities. Until the 20th century, roads and railways were undeveloped so travel was difficult. Consequently, Iranian food has remained largely regional and seasonal from the Caspian Sea with fresh fish daily, to rice fields, luscious citrus groves and tea plantations. The transition of “Persian” to “Iranian” cuisine came in 1935 when the country officially adopted the name Iran. This renaming recognized the diverse cultural groups who contributed to Iran’s culinary traditions.
Iran has three culinary regions. The northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandran and Caspian Sea Coast are known for seafood, rice, fesenjan (stew) and eggy herb-filled cakes called “koo koo.”
The western and central desert provinces and the cities Esfahan and Yazd are known for art and architecture as well as ash-e reste (noodle soup with vegetables and beans), faludeh (rice flour sorbet with fruit and rosewater) and khoresh (meaty lamb or sweet yogurt stew).
The eastern, southern, and Persian Gulf provinces of Khorsan, Baluchistan, Fars, Khouzestan and the cities of Shiraz and Persepolis are known for a relaxed pace of life with Indian, Arabic, African, British, Armenian, Jewish and German influences. This region is known for seafood dishes, wine, dates, halveh and a spicy whitefish soup with cilantro, garlic and tamarind.
Iranian cuisine is characterized by the use of spices, in particular cinnamon and saffron, the liberal use of oil (a mark of generosity), vibrant color and by long simmering. Rice dishes are Iranian cooks’ trademark. Plain boiled rice (kateh) is cooked so that it acquires a distinctive bottom golden crust. Iranian rice polows, studded with bits of meat, nuts, fruit, flavored with saffron and with a golden crust, are delicate and refined.
Iranian cuisine reveals its dualistic character (light and dark, sweet and sour, hot and cold) in the trademark khoresh, a savory stew with meat and split peas often combined with fruit, grain or nuts and in thick soups called ash. Long, slow cooking is very important because it melds the flavors of khoresh and ash into subtle, satisfying food, which is rarely hot-spicy, and always fragrant. Biryani (baked dishes), nan (flatbread), and kofteh (meatballs) are also important. Tea is a national favorite with sweets. Biscuits, baklava and faludeh (sorbet, ice cream and crushed ice desserts) feature poppyseeds, pistachios, chickpea flour, rosewater, orange blossom water, pistachios and honey.
By the twentieth century Iranians began to travel out of the country. Table manners and entertainment shifted. Persian restaurants and food products became available outside Iran. Working Iranians living a high-paced lifestyle away from Iran began to take shortcuts to the traditional Persian long cooking. Iranian cookbook author Ariana Bundy says, “The flavors of Iranian food are very refined. One of the skills of cooking the cuisine is learning to have a delicate hand with spices so that you can showcase the freshness of the food. The dishes are very comforting. We use common ingredients, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and put them together in a way that creates something entirely different like chicken with plums, carrot and orange rice sprinkled with spices.”
Though a higher-paced lifestyle and resulting cuisine has filtered into modern Iran, the abundance of foods and rich flavors and the centuries of history and cultural influences will always underlie exotic Iranian cuisine.
Poultry and Pomegranate Stew (Khoresh Fesenjan)
To bind the stew properly the nuts must be ground finely but not quite to a paste. The finished stew will be a deep, rich brown and look somewhat like a Mexican mole. For a sweeter fesenjan, add more sugar. For more piquant-sour, add more pomegranate juice. The flavor should be balanced somewhere between sweet and sour.
Yields 8 to 9 thick cups, 6 to 8 servings
1/2 C. olive oil or ghee, divided
3 C. diced onions
1-1/2 t. ground cardamom
1 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. turmeric
1/2 lb. walnuts, 2 cups finely ground
2 C. pure pomegranate juice
2 T. sugar
All-purpose flour, as needed
1-3/4 to 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breast, cut into 1-1/2 to 2-inch cubes
or 1-3/4 to 2 lb. boneless, skinless duck thighs and breast, cubed 1-1/2 to 2-inches
2 C. chicken stock
¾ C.halved dried prunes, about 12 to 15
For Serving
Cooked long-grain rice
In a heavy 6-quart pot over medium heat, heat 1/4 cup oil or ghee. Stir in onions and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add cardamom, coriander, and turmeric, cook 1 minute; stir in walnuts. Cook nuts until fragrant, 5 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir pomegranate juice and sugar into the pot.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil or ghee in a 12-inch skillet. When oil is hot, season half the chicken with salt, toss with flour. Shake off excess flour. Lay chicken in skillet and sauté until browned. Place browned chicken into pot with onion and spices. Repeat browning with remaining 2 tablespoons fat and remaining chicken. Deglaze skillet with stock, bring to a boil, and scrape up bits from pan. Pour into pot with the chicken.
Bring stew to a boil, lower heat and simmer until stew thickens, 1 hour. Skim away foam. Add prunes and simmer stew until thick and chocolatey, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Taste stew and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
To Serve: Ladle stew into bowls and serve with cooked long-grain rice.
Variations
Koofteh Fesenjan: Use 1 pound ground lamb or beef in place of poultry and prepare walnut-sized meatballs. Brown them and simmer as with chicken or duck.
Persian Raw
Vegetable and Herb Platter (Sabzi Khordan)
A platter of fresh herbs and raw vegetables served with flatbread and panir or feta cheese accompany most Persian meals; diners help themselves before, during, and after the meal. A bite-size piece of bread is wrapped around herbs, vegetables and cheese, and eaten as a refreshing breakfast or snack. For paneer (panir) cheese check out Indian grocers. Substitute goat milk for cow milk.
4 servings
8 trimmed red radishes
8 large green onions
Mint, basil, tarragon, Italian parsley and cilantro, as desired
6 to 8 C. trimmed watercress
½ C. shelled walnuts
For Serving
Arabic flatbread or lavash
Persian goat milk panir cheese or feta cheese, cubed
Wash vegetables and herbs and blot dry. Quarter radishes and trim green onions. If green onions are very large, halve them lengthwise. Remove mint, basil and tarragon leaves from stems. Trim large stems from parsley and watercress. Soak walnuts in warm water 15 to 20 minutes, and drain.
To Serve: Arrange ingredients with flatbread and cheese on a large platter. Serve as a first course appetizer or for palate refreshing between course nibbling.