Iranian appetizers
Appetizers The proverbial Iranian hospitality also translates into the great variety of appetizers that generally open the actual meal and anticipate the main courses. Close relatives of the Turkish mezze, Greek mezedes and Spanish tapas, in traditional houses they are well arranged on small plates either on the main table or on a side table where they will remain for the duration of the meal and from which guests can freely serve themselves without a set order. An assortment in smaller doses can be a rich aperitif or can be offered as a buffet, on the occasion of cold standing dinners; individually they can constitute a first course. They are served with fresh Arabic bread and a bunch of fresh and well washed aromatic herbs, the so-called sabzi khordan; it is undoubtedly the most typical and traditional Iranian appetizer, that is lavash type bread (in our supermarkets it is found in a variant called Kebab or Kabab bread), fresh Greek feta type cheese (according to personal taste it can be excellently replaced by goat cheese fresh, Philadelphia or similar) and as mentioned a set of aromatic herbs and fresh vegetables according to the offer of the season (it is impossible to find fresh some of the aromatic herbs commonly consumed in Iran, but a valid alternative can be constituted by a mixture of crunchy radishes, fresh spring onions, parsley and / or fresh coriander leaves, also known as cilantro, mint or mint, basil, rocket). The sabzi khordan can remain on the table for the entire duration of the meal and diners will use it at will even during the following courses. To this base can be added pickles, fresh salads starting from the simplest combination of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers in the most varied compositions, based on yogurt, legumes or vegetables cooked and served cold. Stuffed vegetables, vine leaf rolls and various types of omelettes find their best place here, served cold as appetizers or hot as a first course or single dishes. Even soups can precede the main courses or constitute - the richest and most substantial even a single dish. Iranians hardly serve cooked vegetables as an accompaniment to their dishes; the main recipes already contain vegetables cooked together with meat or rice. If you want to offer a wider variety of appetizers, it will be advisable to halve the doses provided here and, placing the appetizers on the table, alternate shapes and colors in order to obtain a pleasant chromatic and visual effect, which will not fail to positively affect the your guests, be they Italian or Iranian Choose file Choose file
