PERSIAN KITCHEN

Introduction

The terms Persia and Persian have indicated for centuries in the West the territory that roughly corresponds to current Iran and its people. It actually derives from the Greek Persis, a term by which the ancient Greeks and in particular Herodotus, father of Western historiography, named the vast Persian empire the result of the conquests of Cyrus the Great (590-529 BC) and which in turn originates from Pars - Parsa, name of the province in the south-west of Iran (current Fars) to which belonged the native clan of Cyrus, founder of the Empire. In 1935 the government of Reza Shah officially asked the interactional community to refer to the country with the term Iran, which in Iranian language means "land of the Arii", "of those who descend from noble origins", an expression with which the inhabitants themselves defined in their mother tongue.
Both names still coexist in current usage, although Persia and Persian are mostly associated with historical and artistic contexts prior to the 20th century.
Precisely because they evoke centuries of past history, and by virtue of the rich and fascinating collective imagery, including the literary to which they are linked, they still have a particular and undoubted charm in the West. In the context of this book, Persia and Iran are not interchangeable, but they each hold a specific meaning. However, both contribute inextricably to forming and making the cultural reality of this country rich and complex. Today's Iranian cuisine does not ignore the Persian cuisine of yesterday, which is its prelude and natural evolution. Therefore, where the reference to the ancient historical and social heritage and its influence over time up to the modern era is more direct, it was preferred to choose the Persian term; more often instead speaking of food and cuisine, describing living habits, uses and characteristics still in place in present-day Iran, the Iranian term was adopted.
Iranian cuisine is little known compared to the kitchens of other countries, although geographically distant from ours.
Iran on the other hand is culturally close to us in many respects, some unsuspected. One of these is certainly the taste for good food which, together with a profound sense of hospitality and an ancient gastronomic tradition, makes the cuisine of this country a source of great surprise; it was for me a long time ago and I hope it will be for all those who, reading and above all experimenting with the recipes of this book, will want to get closer to Iran, to its flavors and fragrances, which are so good they can talk about themselves. Iranian cuisine is part of the gastronomic tradition of Middle Eastern countries, while maintaining its own typical specificities that are rooted in its unique and ancient past. The advanced Persian culinary tradition for its refinement has been a source of inspiration for Middle Eastern chefs for years and its ancient heritage can still be seen today in many Turkish, Strian, Lebanese and Moroccan recipes.
The national taste has been built and settled for centuries on complex flavors, perfectly balanced, never too spicy, with a marked predilection for sweet and sour, asprigno, for combinations of meat and fruit, legumes and vegetables, cleverly associated with herbs and aromas, fresh or dried, which characterize the flavor in a unique and unmistakable way.
The social aspects related to cooking, nourishment and food sharing, the heartfelt duty of hospitality and the obligation to cordiality and generosity towards the guest are essential components of the Iranian way of looking at food.

It marks moments and important events of community and individual, religious and social life to which particular dishes are often associated.
In this sense the Iranian cuisine it is not an intellectual cuisine, but essentially traditional, faithful to customs, rituals and recipes, which over time have undergone few variations.
It is an inherited art, from mother to daughter comes to us unchanged in its fundamental characteristics, even if it is at the same time imprecise and ductile enough to allow exceptions in doses and ingredients, and leave margin to the creativity of the cook to vary and customize the dishes that he prepares according to his personal taste and taste or simply for dietetic and health reasons.
This has favored over time the spread of variants of the same basic recipe, different from region to region.
As we do in Italy, many cities boast sweets or typical dishes for the preparation of which local products are used, hardly available elsewhere with the same taste and freshness.
As an Italian recommends to enjoy the pastiera in Naples, the tortellini in Bologna and the fondue in Turin, so an Iranian would suggest to taste the delicious Tabriz rice balls, the sweet called Sohan in the city of Qom or the typical pickles and smoked fish of the area of Caspian Sea.
And yet, as we have known dishes everywhere in the Peninsula, loved by adults and children, offered almost in every restaurant, so in Iran there are traditional and much loved dishes spread throughout the country.
Even foods originating in other countries and cultures, if appreciated, are generally assimilated and very often readjusted to local tastes: someone perhaps remembers the Ghormeh Sabzi pizza, invented by a whimsical Iranian chef, who recently enjoyed the visitors of his video spread on the net.
Catering is a relatively recent phenomenon in Iran, long in history the locals have been frequented only by men and cooked food was sold on the street, in kiosks or by street vendors: it was mostly meat skewers, rolls of stuffed pasta, vegetables stuffed in the oven or steamed, confectionery, dried fruit, olives.
What is prepared at home, traditionally, over time has constituted the vast repertoire of home cooking, the family; this aspect has favored and preserved over the centuries the methods of preparation and cooking, the first sometimes elaborated, but not difficult and the latter generally slow and protracted.
The factor that historically and culturally has allowed the establishment of a slow cooking of foods is the habit of women to stay at home, even if deep and irreversible are the developments currently taking place in Iranian society and in it the role of women.
Feeding is a very social activity and the way of cooking food in Iran today has centuries of culture and reflects subtle facets of the character and way of life of the Iranians.
Hospitality is a deeply felt duty and refers to a traditional set of rules and precise "rules" that govern behavior and attitudes among people, different according to gender, position in the family and kinship relationship.
The good education at the table, and in relation to the host above all, has the purpose to please.
The quantity and variety of food offered are manifestations of the honor and consideration of which the guest enjoys.
Offering and preparing food, not failing to invite with insistent affability to serve several times, worrying that the guest has constantly what he needs and uses it to satiety, is a fundamental rule of the art of entertainment, which provides cordiality and good mood in the conversation.
The time spent together will have to pass pleasantly, but on the other hand it will be the guest's care not to stay too long, to pre-arrange the visit and conclude it with warm thanks and praise for the food, the house, the children.
Sweets, flowers and small gifts are almost obligatory when you go to the house of others.
Another social aspect that links food and those who share it is linked to a traditional moral ethical code, according to which those who eat together or reciprocally share the food prepared on the other are required to treat themselves with loyalty, immediately and in the future to to come.
This book does not contain all the recipes of Persian cuisine and its endless variations, but offers a selection that brings together the most representative and dear to tradition, in order to bring as many people as possible to a country that is not very well known for this aspect.
Criteria of choice were in addition to personal taste, the ability to reproduce as faithfully the flavors and aromas of the dishes offered.
Therefore, the most easily made recipes with basic ingredients known and available in Italy were privileged, limiting as much as possible the arbitrary use of alternative products that would alter the final result and the originality of the flavors; particular attention has been paid to basic cooking techniques and procedures.
In addition to a selection of classic recipes, such as chelo kabab, considered a national dish, there are also simple and quick food to prepare, which you will hardly find in a restaurant's menu, but which are nevertheless known, very tasty and usually present on the table of Iranian.
In this book the real recipes, divided into 9 groups (appetizers, egg dishes, soups, dishes based on rice with vegetables and legumes, stews, meat, poultry, fish, grilled meats, desserts and preserves) they are preceded by a chapter on the history of the Iranian culinary tradition and its most important evolutions, starting from the ancient Persian empire, through the Sassanid period and the subsequent advent of Islam and medieval court cuisine.
Because of their constant presence in the kitchen and the great consumption by the Iranians, separate paragraphs have been dedicated to tea, yogurt and rice and to the traditional ways in which they are prepared.
The recipes of each chapter are preceded by brief notes and technical suggestions, which I hope can intrigue readers and improve the final performance of their dishes.
The original names in the language make some recipes and some typical ingredients are shown in italics next to Italian.
As for desserts, many and varied, I preferred to limit my choice to some traditional desserts, whose basic ingredients are also sold in Italy, omitting the many cakes and varieties of biscuits, whose origin is sometimes European.
In today's Iran and especially in large cities, sweets are often bought away from home, there are countless bakeries and ice cream parlors, always very busy, and kiosks everywhere, where they prepare drinks, smoothies and frappe of all kinds of fruit, especially in the summer months .
At the end of the book there is a glossary of the foods, herbs and spices needed to prepare the proposed recipes and how to use them.
In ancient times in Iran we did not eat sitting at the table: we spread towels on a carpet on the ground and a tablecloth.
In today's houses there is no shortage of tables, but on certain occasions during the year or simply when the number of diners does not allow for a seat for everyone, the Iranians stretch a soffreh (tablecloth and synonym of table set) and neatly seated all around, on the knees or legs crossed with the back possibly resting on comfortable cushions (poshti), relive this traditional way of eating the meal.
In the villages, and in any case for many Iranian families even in the city, this is still the daily custom.
The food is collected and brought to the mouth generally with a spoon or fork, the knife, however, is usually not on the table because the dishes of Iranian cuisine include meat and vegetables always cut into small pieces, bites ready to be enjoyed.
Traditionally, at the beginning the antipasti, the bread, the salads, the sabzi khordan, the dishes and the rice that accompanies them are arranged on the soffreh at the same time.
The guests will then choose in complete freedom what to use and in what order.
The bread, cheese and aromatic herbs remain on the table all the time of the meal, while fruit and tea are served together at the end.
During the meal you generally drink water, fruit juice or soft drinks; the wine, however, was not unknown to the Iranian gastronomic tradition that boasts origins of centuries before the advent of the precepts of Islam.
Although the Islamic religion recommends the good Muslim not to consume alcoholic beverages of any kind, at the table in ancient Persia, and more recently in Iran, he tasted wine with food.
The oldest traces of vine cultivation have been found on the banks of the Caspian Sea and eastern Turkey and the oldest terracotta wine jar was discovered in the 1996 in the Neolithic village of Haji Firuz Tepe in the Zagros Mountains in Northern Iran. where wild grapes still grow wild, whose grapes, not yet fully ripe, and their sour juice are used in several recipes.
Herodotus describes the Persians as great drinkers and even in the following centuries wine and drinking in good company was a recurring theme in classical Persian literature and medieval poetry.
The ancient Persians placed so much trust in the wine that, according to Herodotus, "they tackled the most serious matters of government, the next day, passed the fumes of alcohol, reviewed the decisions taken, and if they deemed them sensible, they put them in execution ».
The reason for the wine is often celebrated also in the beautiful quatrains of the famous medieval poet Ornar Khayyam (ca.1048-1131): Drink wine, that eternal life is this mortal, and this is what you have of your youth and now that there is wine, and flowers there are, and friends happy with intoxication, be happy, a moment, that this, this is Life.
Get up, o Bella, from your sleep, your throat wet with Wine Before your neck grabs Fate.
That this cruel cycle will soon deny time to blossom new to the touch of water.
The drink that is undoubtedly the most consumed today is tea, often black tea, even if there are no ordinary drinkers of coffee, prepared in the most different ways: American, Turkish, or with the addition of cream and milk as you taste today in the many cafes very popular with young people.
A special and traditional drink, made with yogurt, very refreshing in summer and particularly suitable with fried or grilled meat is instead the Dough: in the city of Esfahan, in the heart of Iran, I was served together with traditional fried desserts , brushed with sugar syrup, whose taste a bit 'cloying in the long run was genially opposed and muffled by acid and salty Dough.
Breakfast often consumed very early is considered the first and important meal of the day and consists in its simplest version in fresh bread, of the most varied types, depending on the place and personal taste (there are about 40 different varieties), butter, fresh cheese (among the most famous the Tabrizi, from the name of the city where it produces excellent, vaguely similar to the Greek feta, but less friable and pungent, and the Lighvan, produced in Iranian Azerbaijan) and still honey and nuts, besides to the ever-present tea.
A well-established popular tradition of times when the body required nutritious and substantial food at dawn before a tiring day of work, includes so-called Halim: long-cooked cereals purée with meat and other ingredients or the famous kalle-pache , appreciated by the finest palates, based on brains and veal legs boiled for a long time in a broth rich in smells.
Each region and many cities have their own versions of halim, which can also be purchased outside the home, in particular restaurants or small vendors open only in the early hours of the morning that offer only this kind of food.
The quantities provided by the recipes are not to be understood too rigidly, especially with regard to cooking seasonings, spices, the quantity of meat.
Many stews or rice dishes can also be prepared without meat, increasing the doses of vegetables and legumes.
The terms "cup" and "glass" in the enumeration of ingredients are equivalent.
The most commonly used cooking fat is seed or olive oil, whereas in the past it was very common for the fat coming from the tail of the sheep (of a particular local breed), often replaced by the much appreciated clarified butter made from melted cow's milk in bain-marie in order to purify it from impurities and from the watery part; in Iran it is known that of the Kermanshah area (Roughan and Kermanshahi): very concentrated, well conserved, today it is an increasingly rare product and is replaced in the kitchen by common butter.
Sauteed garlic and onion deserve two words to themselves: often present in the preparation of stews and many other dishes, they meet, both raw and cooked, the national taste; they can however be reduced in quantity and sometimes completely eliminated.
Finally, as far as preparation and cooking times are concerned, recipe indications have been provided for recipes, but in general the dishes of Iranian cuisine require moderately to very long times.
This should not discourage though: the end result is able to give great satisfaction and in any case you can use, as many do in Iran, the ability to freeze some basic ingredients already cooked or use the pressure cooker, ideal for the realization fast for many dishes and soups.
Even for the preparation of steamed rice many resort to special electric steamers, which can be a great help in the delicate preparation of this cereal.
With some care and a little 'patience, however, all the recipes are easily achievable, once you have found the ingredients and gained a bit' of familiarity with the preparation methods, I am sure it will be a pleasure for you, as it was and it is for me, to venture through his kitchen in that fascinating country that is Iran and, through this authoritative door, enter in an unusual and less academic way to its ancient culture and civilization.