Iran
Halva Ardeh
حلوا ارده
Sesame paste and sugar syrup worked into a dense slab, sold plain or with pistachio, and eaten with bread at breakfast.
southern-asia
Iran
Explore 120 foods connected to Iran, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
120 foods12 leading categories5 Essentials guides
Start with Halva Ardeh →
The local shortlist
Isfahan Essentials
4 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
Open the guide →
The full directory
Traditional foods from Iran.
120 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
Filters
Iran
Havij bastani
هویج بستنی
Carrot juice is frozen into a bright Iranian sherbet, often paired with saffron ice cream and a splash of rose water.
Iran
Iranian Pomegranate Juice
آب انار
Pomegranates pressed whole at street juice bars in autumn and served in a glass with the seeds strained out.
Iran
Iranian Saffron
زعفران
Saffron from Khorasan, where the overwhelming majority of the world's crop is grown and hand-picked in a three-week autumn window.
Iran
Jigar
جگر
Lamb liver, heart and kidney skewered and grilled over coals at street stands, salted and wrapped in bread with basil and onion.
Iran
Jujeh Kabab
جوجه کباب
Chicken marinated overnight in saffron, lemon and yogurt until it stains yellow, then skewered and grilled.
Iran
Kabab Bakhtiari
کباب بختیاری
Alternating pieces of saffron chicken and marinated lamb on one skewer, so each bite changes.
Iran
Kabab Barg
کباب برگ
Lamb or beef fillet flattened thin, marinated in onion juice, saffron and lemon, and grilled fast over coals.
Iran
Kabab chenjeh
کباب چنجه
Boneless lamb cubes are marinated, skewered and grilled until smoky outside and pink-tender within.
Iran
Kabab Koobideh
کباب کوبیده
Minced lamb or beef with grated onion pressed onto a wide flat skewer by hand and grilled over charcoal so it stays juicy and slightly loose.
Rasht, Iran
Kabab Torsh
کباب ترش
Gilan speciality: beef marinated for a day in pomegranate molasses and ground walnut, then grilled until the crust goes dark and sour.
Iran
Kabab-e donbalan
کباب دنبلان
Young lamb tails are seasoned and grilled over coals as a rich, smoky Iranian kebab specialty.
Shiraz, Iran
Kalam Polo Shirazi
کلم پلو شیرازی
Shiraz rice cooked with cabbage, herbs and small meatballs scented with cinnamon and rose water.
Iran
Kaleh joosh
کلهجوش
Kashk, walnuts, onions and dried mint are cooked into a sharp, creamy Iranian dip-like stew eaten with bread.
Iran
Kalleh Pacheh
کلهپاچه
Sheep's head and trotters boiled overnight and eaten at dawn with lemon, cinnamon and bread torn into the broth.
Iran
Kashk
کشک
Drained fermented whey dried into hard balls or sold as a thick liquid, used to finish soups and aubergine dishes with a sharp, funky saltiness.
Iran
Kashk-e Bademjan
کشک بادمجان
Fried aubergine mashed with garlic, fried mint and whey-based kashk, served warm with crisped onion and walnut on top.
Gilan, Iran
Kateh
کته
Kateh is rice cooked by absorption with salt and butter until tender and cohesive, a home-style staple of Gilan and Mazandaran.
Yazd, Iran
Keyk-e Yazdi
کیک یزدی
Small Yazdi cakes rise with cardamom and rose water into a tender, lightly domed crumb baked in individual moulds.
Kermanshah, Iran
Khagineh
خاگینه
Eggs are folded into a sweet or savoury Iranian pancake, with saffron, yoghurt, or herbs depending on the regional form.
Iran
Khakshir
خاکشیر
Tiny flixweed seeds soaked in cold water with sugar and rose water until they swell and suspend, drunk as a summer cooler.
Iran
Khoresh Anar
خورش انار
An Iranian stew of duck or chicken with pomegranate molasses and walnuts.
Iran
Khoresh Bamieh
خورش بامیه
An Iranian okra stew with meat, tomatoes and a hint of souring.
Iran
Khoresh kangar
خورش کنگر
Tender wild artichoke stems are braised with herbs and meat into a spring Iranian khoresh.
Iran
Khoresh rivas
خورش ریواس
Sour rhubarb stalks are braised with herbs and lamb into a bright spring Persian stew.
Iran
Khoresh-e Bademjan
خورش بادمجان
Fried aubergines laid whole over a tomato and lamb stew soured with unripe grape juice or dried lime.
Iran
Khoresh-e Karafs
خورش کرفس
Celery stewed with lamb, mint and parsley and soured with lemon into a pale green khoresh.
Isfahan, Iran
Khoresht Mast
خورشت ماست
A Persian yogurt-based stew with lamb, saffron, turmeric and mint, thickened with yogurt and egg yolks, a Isfahan specialty served cold or warm.
Gilan, Iran
Koloocheh
کلوچه
Round stamped pastry filled with walnut, date or coconut and cardamom, baked in Fuman in Gilan and sold along the roads there.
Iran
Kookoo Sabzi
کوکو سبزی
Dense herb frittata with far more chopped herbs than egg, plus barberries and walnut, fried flat and cut in wedges.
Iran
Kookoo Sib Zamini
کوکو سیب زمینی
Persian potato patties made from mashed potatoes, eggs, saffron and turmeric, fried until golden, a popular street snack and side.
Tabriz, Iran
Kufteh Tabrizi
کوفته تبریزی
A meatball the size of a grapefruit, bound with rice and split peas and stuffed with a boiled egg, dried fruit and walnut, poached in tomato broth.
Azerbaijan
Lavash
Լավաշ
Paper-thin unleavened bread slapped onto the wall of a clay tonir and peeled off seconds later, dried in stacks and revived with a sprinkle of water.
Iran
Lavashak
لواشک
Fruit purée is seasoned, spread thin, and dried into Iranian sour fruit leather sold in colourful rolls and sheets.
Tabriz, Iran
Liqvan Cheese
پنیر لیقوان
Sheep's-milk brine cheese from the village of Liqvan near Tabriz, aged in skins, salty and full of small irregular holes.
Iran
Loobia Polo
لوبیا پلو
Rice cooked with green beans, minced or diced meat, tomato and cinnamon so the grains stain pale red.