Iran

Kateh is an Iranian rice dish from the Caspian region of Iran. Unlike Polo/Cholo, kateh is sticky and does not have tahdig (the rice, bread or potato crust at the bottom), though it does form a crust on the bottom where the salt and oil collect. Generally, kateh needs half the cooking time of polo-style rice and has a denser flavor due to the addition of butter or oil in the cooking process. Kateh is considered generally the most simple Iranian rice as the ease and speed of cooking makes it popular for casual dinners. It is sometimes referred to as "everyday rice". It is also a traditional dish of Caspian cuisine and found in the Mazandaran, and Gilan provinces.

Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and sour flavor. The unmodified term ("ketchup") now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes for various different varieties of ketchup contained mushrooms, oysters, mussels, egg whites, grapes or walnuts, among other ingredients. Tomato ketchup is made from tomatoes, sugar, and vinegar, with seasonings and spices. The spices and flavors vary, but commonly include onions, allspice, coriander, cloves, cumin, garlic, and mustard, and sometimes include celery, cinnamon, or ginger.[citation needed] The market leader in the United States (60% market share) and the United Kingdom (82%) is Heinz Tomato Ketchup. Tomato ketchup is often used as a condiment to dishes that are usually served hot and are fried or greasy: french fries and other potato dishes, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, hot sandwiches, meat pies, cooked eggs, and grilled or fried meat. Ketchup is sometimes used as the basis for, or as one ingredient in, other sauces and dressings, and the flavor may be replicated as an additive flavoring for snacks, such as potato chips.

Yeasted bread, serve with sweet or savory ingredients such as honey, cream cheese, date paste, date syrup, pumpkin purée, cheese, labneh

Date-filled rolls or buns with turmeric and cumin

Boiled beets in syrup, a common street snack

Lavash is a thin flatbread usually leavened, traditionally baked in a tandoor (tonir or tanoor) or on a sajj, and common to the cuisines of South Caucasus, West Asia, and the areas surrounding the Caspian Sea. Lavash is one of the most widespread types of bread in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey. The traditional recipe can be adapted to the modern kitchen by using a griddle or wok instead of the tonir. In 2014, "Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia" was inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In 2016, making and sharing flatbread (lavash, katyrma, jupka or yufka) in communities of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey was inscribed on the list as well. Lavash is similar to yufka, but in Turkish cuisine lavash (lavaş) is prepared with a yeast dough while yufka is typically unleavened. Hrach Martirosyan tentatively connects Armenian lavash with dialectal լափ lapʿ, լուփ lupʿ, լովազ lovaz 'palm, flat of the hand', լափուկ lapʿuk, լեփուկ lepʿuk 'flat, polished stone for playing', լավազ lavaz 'very thin' and assumes derivation from Proto-Armenian *law 'flat'. He remarks that semantically this is conceivable since this bread is specifically flat and thin.

Lighvan is a sour, hole filled brined curd cheese traditionally made from sheep's milk in Liqvan, a village in East Azerbaijan, Iran. Lighvan cheese, one of the most popular Iranian traditional cheeses, is a starter-free cheese from the Azerbaijan region, in the north-west of Iran, and manufactured from raw ewe's milk. It ripens in 10 to 12% salt brine for 3 or 4 months at an average temperature of 10 ± 2 °C. In spite of the increasing popularity of Lighvan cheese, there are few studies on its chemical composition and microbial communities The milk is coagulated with rennet tablets, then the curd is packed into triangular cloth bags and is allowed to drain thoroughly. The triangular blocks of cheese, which are about 20 cm (7.9 in) thick, are removed from the bag and put in an earthenware pot. Then they are covered with salt, and are left for two days. The cheese is usually served for breakfast or dinner with fresh bread.

Mahyawa or mehyawa is an Iranian cuisine tangy sauce made out of fermented fish. Mahyawa originates in the southern coastal regions of Iran, but has become a popular food item in most Persian Gulf countries, brought by the migration of the Huwala and Ajam communities. It is typically served on top of a wafer thin crispy flat bread called regag or tumushi, and falazi. Mahyawa is made from salted anchovies and ingredients include: fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and mustard seeds. Mahyawa is often sold at bakeries and by street vendors in the southern parts of Iran, especially Hormozgan, Bushehr and the southern parts of Fars province, in clear bottles, showing the brown-colored sauce.

o khiar - Cucumber and yogurt side or dip

o-laboo - Beets in yogurt

Mirza ghassemi or mirza qassemi is a Gilani cuisine, appetizer or main course based on tandoori or grilled aubergine (eggplant), distinct to the Northern Iran and Caspian Sea region (specifically Gilan province).. The dish consists of aubergines seasoned with garlic, tomato, oil or butter, salt, and pepper bound together with eggs. It can be prepared as a casserole, and is usually served with bread or rice. The variant made with zucchini instead of aubergine is called kadoo ghasemi. Mirza ghasemi was invented by Mohammad Qasim Khan, the governor of Rasht during the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah (1848-1896), and was developed by him and named after him.[citation needed] He popularized this dish throughout Gilan under the name of Mirza Ghasemi, and after he was elected to the governorship of Fars, he also popularized it in Fars province.[citation needed]

Sour preserved cherries, cherry preserves

Stewed apples

Jam, for example, apple, carrot, cherry, orange, plum, pumpkin, quince

The olive, botanical name Olea europaea, meaning 'European olive', is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as Olea europaea 'Montra', dwarf olive, or little olive. The species is cultivated in all the countries of the Mediterranean, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, North and South America and South Africa. It is the type species for its genus, Olea. The tree and its fruit give their name to the Oleaceae plant family, which also includes species such as lilac, jasmine, forsythia, and the true ash tree. The olive's fruit, also called an "olive", is of major agricultural importance in the Mediterranean region as the source of olive oil; it is one of the core ingredients in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Thousands of cultivars of the olive tree are known. Olive cultivars may be used primarily for oil, eating, or both. Olives cultivated for consumption are generally referred to as "table olives". About 80% of all harvested olives are turned into oil, while about 20% are used as table olives.

Olivier salad is a traditional salad dish of Russian cuisine. Its creation is generally attributed to Lucien Olivier. It is also popular in other post-Soviet countries and around the world. In different modern recipes, it is usually made with diced boiled potatoes, carrots and brined dill pickles (or cucumber), together with optional vegetable or fruit ingredients such as green peas, eggs, celeriac, onions and apples, optional meat ingredients such as diced boiled chicken, cured sausage, ham, or hot dogs, with salt, pepper and mustard sometimes added to enhance flavor, and dressed with mayonnaise. In many countries, the dish is commonly referred to as Russian salad, in a few Scandinavian countries (Denmark and Norway) it is called italiensk salat (Italian salad, to acknowledge the popularity of this dish in Northern Italy - where however the common name is Insalata russa) and in Dutch it is called huzarensalade (hussars' salad). In former Yugoslav countries it is called ruska salata (Russian salad) or francuska salata (French salad). In Romania it is known as "salata (de) boeuf." which means beef salad in French. In France, it is referred to as macédoine de légumes, whereas the Polish version, in which there's usually no meat, is simply known as sałatka jarzynowa, or vegetable salad. In Russia and other post-Soviet states, as well as in Russophone communities worldwide, the salad has become one of the main dishes on zakuski tables served during New Year's Eve ("Novy God") celebrations. In Poland it is commonly served at Christmas and Easter.

Pirozhki[a] are Eastern European baked or fried yeast-leavened boat-shaped buns with a variety of fillings. Pirozhki are a popular street food and comfort food in Eastern Europe. The stress in pirozhki is on the last syllable: [pʲɪrɐʂˈkʲi]. Pirozhok[b] (Russian: пирожо́к, romanized: pirožók, IPA: [pʲɪrɐˈʐok] ⓘ, singular) is the diminutive form of Russian pirog, which means a full-sized pie.[c] Pirozhki are not to be confused with the Polish pierogi (a cognate term), which are called varenyky or pyrohy in Ukrainian and Doukhoborese, and vareniki in Russian.

The potato is a starchy root vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum, a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.

The rigouta is a Tunisian fresh soft cheese, produced mainly in the city of Béja. The cheese is a close relative to the Italian ricotta and is made with the whey of Sicilo-Sarda sheep. The whey is heated at 80-90 °C to coagulate the proteins , the result is then drained in small traditional straw baskets, a clean fabric, or a perforated recipient made of plastic or metal. The main micro-organisms responsible of the fermentation are: the Lactococcus lactis and the Enterococcus faecalis. Rigouta is also used as the basis of several preparations and dishes of Tunisian cuisine.

Rye bread is a type of bread made with various proportions of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from wheat flour. Compared to white bread, it is higher in fiber, darker in color, and stronger in flavor. The world's largest exporter of rye bread is Poland. Rye bread was considered a staple through the Middle Ages. Many different types of rye grain have come from north-central, western, and eastern European countries such as Iceland, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and the Czech Republic, and it is also a speciality in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. Around 500 AD, the Germanic tribe of Saxons settled in Britain and introduced rye, which was well-suited to its temperate climates.

An herb platter or assortment of fresh herbs and vegetables served as a side dish, e.g., basil, chives, cilantro, cress, dill, fennel, fenugreek, mint, parsley, peppermint, radish, savory, scallion, tarragon, Welsh onion

Coleslaw , also known as cole slaw or simply as slaw, is a side dish consisting primarily of finely shredded raw cabbage with a salad dressing or condiment, commonly either vinaigrette or mayonnaise. This dish originated in the Netherlands in the 18th century. Coleslaw prepared with vinaigrette may benefit from the long lifespan granted by pickling. Coleslaw has evolved into various forms globally. The only consistent ingredient in coleslaw is raw cabbage, while other ingredients and dressings vary widely. Some popular variations include adding red cabbage, pepper, shredded carrots, onions, grated cheese, pineapple, pears, or apples, and using salad dressings like mayonnaise or cream. The term "coleslaw" arose in the 18th century as an anglicisation of the Dutch term koolsla ("kool" in Dutch sounds like "cole") meaning "cabbage salad". The "cole" part of the word ultimately derives from the Latin caulis, meaning cabbage.

A samosa (listenⓘ) from the Persian word Sambosag (سنبوسگ) (Meaning triangular pastry) is a fried South Asian and West Asian snack. It is a pastry with a savory filling, mostly vegetables, spiced potatoes, onions, peas, also non-vegetarian meat, or fish. It is made into different shapes, including triangular, cone, or crescent, depending on the region. Samosas are often accompanied by chutney, and have origins in medieval times or earlier. Sweet versions are also made. Samosas are a popular entrée, appetizer, or snack in the cuisines of South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, East Africa and their South Asian diasporas. The English word samosa derives from the Hindustani word samosa (Urdu: سموسہ, Hindi: समोसा), traceable to the Middle Persian word sanbosag (سنبوسگ) 'triangular pastry'. Similar pastries are called sambusak in Arabic; medieval Arabic recipe books sometimes spell it sambusaj, which are all borrowed from Persian sanbosag.

Sangak or nân-e sangak (Persian: نان سنگک) is a plain, rectangular or triangular Iranian whole wheat leavened flatbread. In Persian sangak means little stone. The bread is baked on a bed of small river stones in an oven. There are usually two varieties of this bread offered at Iranian bakeries: the generic one which has no toppings; and the more expensive variety which is traditionally topped with poppy seeds and these days with sesame seeds, and to less extent black cumin, caraway, cumin and even dried aromatic herbs. Sangak bread was traditionally the bread of the Persian army. It is mentioned for the first time in the 11th century. Each soldier carried a small quantity of pebbles which at camp were brought together to create the "sangak oven" that would bake the bread for the entire army. It was eaten with lamb kabab.

Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. Oil made from raw seeds, which may or may not be cold-pressed, is used as a cooking oil. Oil made from toasted seeds is used for its distinctive nutty aroma and taste, although it may be unsuitable for frying, which makes it taste burnt and bitter. Sesame seeds are protected by a capsule which bursts only when the seeds are completely ripe, a process called dehiscence. The dehiscence time tends to vary, so farmers cut plants by hand and place them together in an upright position to continue ripening, until all the capsules have opened.

Shirazi salad is a Persian salad that originated from and is named after Shiraz in southern Iran. It is a relatively modern dish, dating to sometime after the introduction of the tomato to Iran at the end of the nineteenth century in the Qajar era. Its primary ingredients are cucumber, tomato, onion, olive oil, herbal spices and verjuice, although lime juice is sometimes used in its preparation. In Iran, it is eaten in the summer as a side dish on its own, and year-round as a side dish alongside meat-based foods such as Persian kabob and as a side dish before and after meals. Shirazi salad is sometimes served as an accompaniment to rice such as loobia polo, an Iranian rice dish made with green beans and tomatoes. Cookbook author Jila Dana-Haeri describes it as a refreshing dish during the summer. Shirazi salad has been described as being akin to a national salad in Iran, and it is a common meal accompaniment. It may also be used in a manner similar to that of a condiment, to reduce the herbal flavor of stews. It typically has a crisp and moist texture, and is somewhat similar to pico de gallo and mediterranean salad. The primary ingredients of Shirazi salad consist of small, finely-diced cucumber, tomato and onion, which is mixed with verjuice (or sometimes fresh lemon or lime juice) and some dried mint. Olive oil, salt, and pepper may be used, and additional ingredients may include chopped mint, parsley, scallions, dill, sumac, and red vinegar. The salad may have a sour and salty flavor, and its flavor may increase after being set for an hour or longer before serving, which allows time for the flavors to intermingle. It may be served with breads such as pita and lavash, or with cheese and/or walnuts.[citation needed]

Chickpeas and potatoes in a mint sauce

Taftan or taftoon is a leavened flour bread from Iran, introduced to Kuwaiti and South Asian cuisines. It is made with refined flour, milk, yoghurt, and eggs and baked in a clay oven. It is sometimes flavoured with saffron and a small amount of cardamom powder, and may be decorated with seeds such as poppy seeds.

Tandoor bread refers to a bread baked in a clay oven called a tandoor. Cooking food in a tandoor oven has been done for about five millennia. Remains of a clay oven with indication of cooked food have been excavated in the Indus River valley site of Kalibangan, and other places in present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, northwest India, Iran, Iraq and Central Asia. The English word tandoor comes from Hindi/Urdu tandūr , which derives from Persian tanūr (تنور) or tandūr (تندور). According to the Dehkhoda Persian Dictionary, the Persian word ultimately came from the Akkadian word tinūru (𒋾𒂟), which consists of the parts tin 'mud' and nuro/nura 'fire' and is mentioned as early as in the Akkadian Epic of Gilgamesh. Tandoor has been referred to as kandu in Sanskrit literature, in which tandoori parched, roasted cuisine is described as kandu pakva (roasted in a tandoor such as grains, meat, etc.) along with roasting on coal which has been called angara pakva.

Tzatziki , also known as cacık ( Turkish: [dʒaˈdʒɯk]) or tarator, is a class of dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeastern Europe and West Asia. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sometimes with lemon juice, and herbs such as dill, mint, parsley and thyme. It is served as a cold appetiser (meze), a side dish, and as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros sandwiches and other foods. The word tzatziki appeared in English around the mid-20th century as a loanword from Modern Greek (τζατζίκι), which in turn comes from the Turkish word cacık. The root is likely related to several words in West Asian languages. Persian zhazh (ژاژ) refers to various herbs used for cooking.[citation needed] That word is combined with the Turkish diminutive suffix -cık to yield cacık. It may be related to an Armenian word, cacıg. According to Sevan Nişanyan the Armenian word may itself come from Turkish or Kurdish.

Tarhana is a dried food ingredient, based on a fermented mixture of grain and yogurt or fermented milk, found in Central Asian, Southeast European, and Middle Eastern cuisines. Dry tarhana has a texture of coarse, uneven crumbs, and it is usually made into a thick soup with water, stock, or milk. As it is both acidic and low in moisture, the milk proteins keep for long periods. Tarhana is very similar to some kinds of kashk. Regional variations of the name include Armenian թարխանա (tarkhana); Greek τραχανάς (trahanás) or ξυνόχονδρος (xynohondros); Persian ترخینه، ترخانه، ترخوانه (tarkhineh, tarkhāneh, tarkhwāneh); Kurdish tarxane; Albanian trahana; Bulgarian трахана or тархана; (trahana, tarhana),Serbo-Croatian tarana, tarhana or trahana; Hungarian tarhonya; Turkish tarhana. The Armenian tarkhana is made up of matzoon and eggs mixed with equal amounts of wheat flour and starch. Small pieces of dough are prepared and dried and then kept in glass containers and used mostly in soups, dissolving in hot liquids. The Greek trahanas contains only cracked wheat or a couscous-like paste and fermented milk. The Turkish tarhana consists of cracked wheat (or flour), yoghurt, and vegetables, fermented and then dried. In Cyprus, it is considered a national specialty, and is often served with pieces of halloumi cheese in it. In Albania it is prepared with wheat, yoghurt and butter, and served with hot olive oil and feta cheese.

Torshi , or Tursu (Turkish: turşu), are the pickled vegetables of many Middle Eastern, Iranian, Slavic and Balkan cuisines. Torshi is common in Arab, Turkish, Assyrian, Kurdish, Afghan, Balkans, Slavic, Armenian, and Iranian cuisine. Iran has hundreds of types of torshi, according to regional customs and different events. In some families, no meal is considered complete without a bowl of torshi on the table. Toursi is a traditional appetizer (meze) to go with arak, rakı, ouzo, oghi, tsipouro, and rakia. In some regions, notably in Turkey (turşu suyu), the pickle juice or torshi water is a popular beverage. In Armenia, it is often eaten as an appetizer, and served alongside other Armenian appetizers like topik, lavash, aboukh/basturma, soujoukh and matsoon. In Macedonian cuisine, it is a popular appetizer, traditionally prepared in the fall, and enjoyed throughout winter as a side dish to hearty stews. In Bulgarian cuisine, the most popular types are tsarska turshiya ("king's pickle") and selska turshiya ("country pickle").

Carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, fava beans, garlic, green beans, onions, pumpkins, spinach, squash, tomatoes, zucchini

Yogurt is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor. Cow's milk is most commonly used to make yogurt. Milk from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, and yaks is also used to produce yogurt. The milk used may be homogenized or not. It may be pasteurized or raw. Each type of milk produces substantially different results. Yogurt is produced using a culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria. Other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are sometimes added during or after culturing yogurt. Some countries require yogurt to contain a specific amount of colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria; for example, in China the requirement for the number of lactobacillus bacteria is at least 1 million CFU per milliliter.

Za'atar[a] is a Levantine culinary herb or family of herbs. It is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, and other spices. As a family of related Levantine herbs, it contains plants from the genera Origanum (oregano), Calamintha (basil thyme), Thymus (typically Thymus vulgaris, i.e., thyme), and Satureja (savory) plants. The name za'atar alone most properly applies to Origanum syriacum, considered in biblical scholarship to be the ezov of the Hebrew Bible, often translated as hyssop but distinct from modern Hyssopus officinalis. Used in Levantine cuisine, both the herb and spice mixture are popular throughout the Mediterranean region of the Middle East. According to Ignace J. Gelb, an Akkadian language word that can be read sarsar may refer to a spice plant. This word could be attested in the Syriac satre, and Arabic za'atar (or sa'tar), possibly the source of Latin Satureia. Satureia (Satureja) is a common name for Satureja thymbra, a species of savory whose other common and ethnic names include, "Persian za'atar", "za'atar rumi" (Roman hyssop), and "za'atar franji" (European hyssop). In the Modern Hebrew language, za'atar is used as an Arabic loanword.