Sitting at the junction of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, it’s no surprise that Iran is a rich, complex, storied region with a resonant interplay of produce, flavours and cooking styles. There are many points of intersection with Middle Eastern food but there are also Ottoman elements, Indian flavours, Zoroastrian lore, and ingredients that found their way along long trade routes from China and beyond.
Herbs are ever present, used in lavish quantities in soups and on platters. Rice and lamb are popular, often in combination. Flatbread is a must with every meal. Splashes of colour come from pomegranate arils and the gentle warmth of saffron. Sweet and savoury elements are very often combined in one dish: there’s the pomegranate molasses in a stew, the sugar-ground saffron that’s added to rice, and
