An Invitation to the Iranian Table Quiz

Answer: saffron

Derived from the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus, saffron is believed to have originated in Iran, where it may have been cultivated since the 10th century BC. Iran is the biggest producer of this spice (over 90% of the global production), whose price can be as high as $11,000/kg ($5,000/lb). This high retail value is explained by the fact that harvesting saffron is very labour-intensive, as the stigmas have to be picked by hand, and over 400,000 stigmas are needed to make just one kilo.

Highly prized for the deep, orange-yellow colour it imparts to foods, as well as its distinctive, hay-like taste, saffron is one of the hallmarks of Iranian cuisine, where it is used in a wide range of dishes, from soups and stews to desserts. It is also an essential ingredient of Iranian rice dishes such as "polo" (the Iranian version of pilaf rice).

Cinnamon is also widely used in Iranian cuisine, as are cardamom, turmeric, and fenugreek. However, Iranian cuisine is also characterized by the use of less common spices - such as mahleb (the ground seeds of a species of cherry tree), dried lime, sumac (the dried and ground fruits of a shrub related to the cashew) - as well as fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, mint, and dill. Ginger and cloves, on the other hand, are generally found as part of spice mixes ("advieh") rather than used on their own.

The photo shows a shop selling saffron products in the bazaar of Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city.

Answer: matzo

In many parts of Asia, bread is synonymous with flatbread rather than the plump, raised loaves or rolls that are common in Western countries. Of the many varieties of flatbread found in Iran, lavash is probably the best-known outside the country: though usually leavened, it is very thin and pliable when fresh, which makes it particularly suitable as a wrap for grilled meats, cheese, or vegetables. Sangak (also spelled "sengak") is made with whole wheat flour, and usually shaped by hand, then baked on a bed of small river stones - hence its name, which means "pebble" in the Farsi (Persian) language. Barbari (pictured in the photo) is thicker than either lavash or sangak, though also baked in long loaves, and glazed with a mixture of baking soda, flour and water that creates a skin similar to that on top of pretzels or bagels. Iranian flatbreads are often sprinkled with sesame or poppy seeds prior to baking.

The odd man out, matzo (also spelled "matzah") is the brittle, unleavened flatbread that is an essential component of the Jewish Passover celebrations, during which the use of any leavening agent is forbidden.

Answer: made with minced meat

"Kebab", a word of Arabic origin meaning "roasted meat", has come to denote any kind of meat cut up in small chunks and grilled on a skewer - a preparation associated with the cuisines of Middle Eastern countries, though also found in South and Central Asia. In Iran, "chelo kebab" - that is, kebab served with steamed rice seasoned with saffron - is considered the country's national dish. Many different kinds of kebab are enjoyed in Iran, and "kebab koobideh" ("smashed kebab") is one of the most popular. It is made with finely minced beef, lamb, or chicken, often mixed with chopped onion and parsley; the meat is shaped into flat strips, and grilled on extra-wide skewers.

As the photo illustrates, a piece of kebab koobideh looks like a long, flattish sausage. The Turkish "Adana kebab" is a similar preparation. Kebab koobideh is traditionally served with rice or flatbread and grilled tomatoes; the dish in the photo, however, is accompanied by a salad of chopped vegetables.

Answer: pomegranate

Originating in Northern Iran, the region along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, fesenjan was first mentioned in a late 19th-century cookbook, though it may be much older than that. Though this stew, usually made with poultry, comes in a number of different varieties, the most common of them is the one made with ground walnuts. This dish owes the dark colour that can be observed in the photo to the addition of pomegranate molasses, a thick, sweet-and-sour syrup obtained by cooking down pomegranate juice. Because of its expensive ingredients (such as duck, which is often the meat of choice for this dish) and time-consuming preparation, fesenjan is generally reserved for special occasions, and served with white or yellow rice.

Pomegranate molasses, juice and seeds are often added to Iranian dishes, especially soups and stews. Quince, a highly aromatic fruit that benefits from long cooking, is also a popular ingredient of Iranian "khoresh", including one of the varieties of fesenjan listed in the cookbok mentioned above. Other fruits widely used in Iranian cuisine are plums and prunes, tart cherries, apricots, and oranges (though not pineapple) - as well as barberries, the sour-tasting fruits of Berberis vulgaris, a shrub that grows wild in much of Iran. Another ingredient derived from fruit, used to add an acidic note in place of lemon or vinegar, is verjuice, the juice of unripe grapes.

Answer: eggs

Also spelled "kookoo", kuku is most similar to Italian frittata or an open-faced omelette. However, unlike either of these dishes, eggs are used more as a binder than as the primary ingredient. Some recipes also call for a small quantity of flour and a leavening agent (such as yeast or baking soda) to give it a firmer, cake-like texture. Packed with fresh greens and herbs, kuku sabzi is traditionally prepared to celebrate the first day of spring, which coincides with Nowruz, the Persian New Year: herbs and greens symbolize a new start.

Common ingredients include spinach, leeks, parsley, cilantro, and other herbs, cooked before the beaten eggs are mixed in; barberries (see Q. 4) and walnuts are also frequent additions. Other types of kuku include "kuku sibzamini" (potato kuku, similar to Spanish omelette), "kuku-ye-badenjan" (eggplant kuku), "kuku-ye-mast" (yogurt kuku), and carrot kuku. In Gilan povince (where "fesenjan" also originated), located along the shore of the Caspian Sea, "ashbal kuku" is made with caviar (sturgeon roe). Traditionally cooked in a pan on the stove, and finished by steaming under a lid, kuku is eaten hot or cold, either as a starter, a main course, or a side dish, often accompanied by bread or rice and salad.

Iran being a Muslim country, bacon is definitely never used as an ingredient for kuku - or any other dishes for that matter.

Answer: a crispy rice crust that forms at the bottom of the pot

Scorched rice - a crunchy crust of caramelized rice that forms at the bottom of the cooking pot - is prized in many of the world's cuisines, but probably nowhere as fervently as in Iran, where a number of different methods are used to obtain "tahdig" (Farsi for "bottom of the pot"), the golden crust that you can see in the photo (and also in the photo for Q. 4). In addition to letting the rice turn golden and crispy on its own, sometimes lavash flatbread (see Q. 2) or thinly sliced potatoes are layered at the bottom of the cooking pot to create the prized crust. Other methods involve mixing some of the rice with saffron and yogurt, and placing this mixture in the pot before the rest of the rice is added, or else adding a thin layer of lamb fat.

Tahdig is an essential feature of many Iranian rice dishes, from simple, steamed white rice ("chelo") to rice cooked in broth with other ingredients ("polo", also mentioned in Q. 1)), to the elaborate rice cake (often filled with meat or vegetables) called "tahchin". A variation on tahdig is also made with spaghetti or other kinds of pasta when preparing Persian macaroni, a uniquely Iranian spin on spaghetti bolognese.

Rice acquired its major status in Iranian cuisine during the Safavid Empire (1501-1736), while previously it had mainly been a staple in the cuisine of northern Iran. Much of the rice used in Iran is a long-grain variety known as "domsiah", related to basmati rice.

Answer: eggplant

Eggplant (aubergine in British English), a plant of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) that - unlike its close relatives, tomatoes, potatoes and peppers - is native to the Old World, is one of the most popular vegetables in the Mediterranean region and large parts of Asia. In Iran, eggplant ("badenjan") has been grown for centuries, and is used in a large variety of dishes. Unlike in neighbouring Turkey and other Western Asian countries, eggplant (generally the large, dark-skinned variety, also known as Italian eggplant) is peeled before cooking, especially when prepared for being preserved at the end of summer.

Though eggplant often appears as an ingredient of Iranian soups, stews and other main courses, it is most often used in appetizer-type dishes, such as "mast-o-badenjan" (pictured in the photo), a dip-like dish of roasted, mashed eggplant with yogurt and mint, or the similar "kashk-o-badenjan", with dried strained yogurt ("kashk") and walnuts. A more substantial dish from northern Iran is "mirza ghasemi", a baked casserole of eggplant with tomatoes, garlic, and eggs.

While pumpkin and tomatoes are often employed in Iranian cuisine, broccoli and their relatives of the cabbage family are not among the most popular vegetables in Western Asia.

Answer: rosewater

Like most other peoples, Iranians enjoy something sweet at the end of a meal, or as a snack, and a wide range of sweet baked goods, desserts, and candy is available in the country. "Faloodeh" (also spelled "paloodeh", meaning "smoothly filtered") is a unique dessert that is believed to have been created as early as the 4th century BC, when it was enjoyed by royalty and the upper classes. At that time, ice houses to store snow already existed in Persia and other parts of the world. Sherbet, or water ice, is also believed to have originated in ancient Persia (6th century BC); in modern Iran, "sharbat" is a chilled, fruit-based drink.

Faloodeh is made with very thin rice or cornstarch noodles, cooked until soft to allow the sugar syrup to soak in; rosewater and lime juice are added to the mixture before it is put in the freezer. The desired texture of faloodeh is similar to that of Italian "granita" - light and airy, with small ice crystals and crunchy noodles. As shown in the photo, faloodeh is often served with Persian ice cream ("bastani sonnati"), typically flavoured with saffron.

The Indian dessert known as "falooda" developed from faloodeh during the Mughal Empire, and subsequently spread to neighbouring countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Burma (Myanmar). It is. however, a much richer concoction, which involves the addition of ice cream, condensed milk, fruit, jelly, and sweet basil seeds.

Made by steeping rose petals in water, rosewater has been used as a flavouring for food in Iran for thousands of years; it is also common in other Middle Eastern countries and in the Indian subcontinent.

Answer: Shiraz

The Shiraz grape pictured in the photo is actually a French grape variety, which was named after the historic Iranian city that has been a hub of wine production since antiquity. The name Shiraz is used mainly in Australia, while in other wine-producing countries (including its native France) the grape is known as Syrah (a name that has been connected with the Italian city of Syracuse).

Though any connection between the Iranian city and the grape variety is likely to be based on legend, Shirazi wine became famous in Europe in the early Middle Ages, when it was thought to be the finest wine in the world. Some travellers' accounts - including Marco Polo's famous one - mention the wine, and refer to it as white. One of the masterpieces of medieval Persian literature, the "Rubaiyat" by Omar Khayyam (translated into English by British poet Edward FitzGerald) praises this wine lavishly. In fact, although alcohol consumption is explicitly forbidden by the Koran, drinking wine was common among Persian elites.

In present-day Iran, the production of wine (called "mey" in Farsi) is allowed for officially recognized non-Muslim minorities (mostly Christians). Before the Islamic Revolution of 1979, there were about 300 wineries in Iran, but now there are none left. On the other hand, Iran is one of the world's biggest producers of tea, and coffee consumption is also widespread. Another drink that has become increasingly popular in the country in recent years is non-alcoholic beer ("abjow").

Answer: sugar

While in Western countries soft drinks are almost inevitably sweet, in Iran and neighbouring countries it is customary to consume drinks to which salt is added. Doogh is made with yogurt mixed with water and salt, and served cold; it can also be found in carbonated form. As the photo shows, the drink is sold in bottles, and can be bought all over Iran. Its name comes from "dooshidan", the Farsi word for "milking". The habit of drinking fermented milk comes from the Turkic nomadic tribes that have inhabited Western and Central Asia, as well as parts of Eastern Europe, for thousands of years. This savoury, healthy drink is called "ayran" in Turkey, "tan" in Armenia, "xinogala" in Greece, and "dogh" in Afghanistan.

Mint and pepper are frequently added to doogh, as are lime juice and diced cucumbers. However, yogurt-based beverages produced in other countries - especially in East Asia - often have sugar added. In India, salted "lassi" is similar to doogh, while sweet lassi is more similar to a fruit-based milkshake.