Cumin Seed

ue to the range of culinary traditions across the Iranian provinces, food in Iran is extremely diverse. Common to all the Iranian provinces however, is the fact that Iranian food tends to be both healthy and nutritious.

To taste true Iranian food, it is necessary to eat at an Iranian’s house. The reason for this is that most restaurants in Iran limit the food they sell to different types of kebab and there is therefore, very little variety.

Even if you are staying with an Iranian family, it is likely that at some point you will eat in a restaurant and if this is the case, you are likely to be happy with the standards of cleanliness and hygiene. As with any country however, it is advisable to only eat hot food from street stalls and you should make efforts to observe how the food has been cooked e.g. ensuring sufficient standards of cleanliness).

As a general description, food in Iran tends to be colourful, healthy and simple. Taste is added via herbs, light spices and fruit and the resulting dishes are mild as opposed to spicy.