Gastronomy a fine art which is called “the great art of cooking” by the French has developed as a delicate art in most communities, in royal courts and palaces of the nobles. And it has gradually spread to different layers of society.
Nowadays, the courtyards and kitchens of houses have been replaced by restaurants and luxury hotels. But development of the “great art of cooking” in ordinary houses is limited and the gap between it and ordinary cuisine remains the same. Their difference is not only in the price, the quantity and the quality of the food, but also in the way of cooking.
Iranian gastronomy is an exception among others. The Iranian gastronomy for poor and wealthy people differs in the quality of the foodstuff but not in cooking methods. That is to say, the poor and wealthy Iranian people’s cooking preparation is the same but the ingredients are somehow different.
Undoubtedly there was a distinct difference between those who knew how to mix different foodstuff delicately knowing what’s best and those who used food for momentary pleasure. Gastronomy is an inseparable part of every country’s cultural heritage, which can show its history along with its myths, tunes, songs, inscriptions, manuscripts, clothing, customs and religion.
Iranian gastronomy Characteristics
Like Iranian carpet, the Iranian cuisine is basically a popular art which has been developed in wealthy and ordinary or even poor people’s homes by women in towns and cities. However, some excellent examples of Iranian cooking (like Iranian carpets) have always appeared in noble and rich people’s kitchens, though professional cooking has been dominated by men. The main difference between professional and ordinary cooking is not in cooking methods; but in the quantity of the food. A professional cook just tries to be the same as ordinary cooks at homes, just preparing in bigger scales using better equipment and utensils.
We can name three main factors among numerous factors which have affected the development of this art in Iran: local products, type of fuel consumed and the life style.
What distinguishes Iranian cooking from others is the time we spend on preparing food, in Iran. Some nations, for whatever reason, cook their food in a very short time. In some cases, like Chinese food, they just stir fry the foodstuff and eat it half-cooked. These Chinese methods have also become common in Europe. Since most Iranians are used to eating foods that have been cooked for a long time, they do not like fast-prepared food, due to their eating habits. Obviously one can always learn how to enjoy food with a little bit of practice.
A general look at Iranian cooking shows you the fact that the recipe for each food is earned through centuries of experience. In order to get a good idea about this, you need to pay attention to different types of stews, rice, broth, and fried vegetables. You can see a lot of variety in all of them, though the nature of the food, whatever it is, remains the same. So you can see Iranian stew, broth, etc. is not just a kind of food, but a model to make various foods which can go along with the season or area of the country, or with the taste, ability and interest of the cook. It is just the quality that mainly makes Iranian cooking stand out.
An exciting day for those interested in cooking
After having breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken to visit the home of an Iranian chef, proficient in cooking and fluent in English. After tasting Iranian tea at her house, you can accompany her to a local market of fresh fruits and vegetables to buy the ingredients, so that you can observe closely, the cooking of a delicious Iranian dish. After you will visit the nice Tarnish market, you will return her home to attend a tasty Iranian culinary preparation. Thus, you can share the cooking by cleaning the aromatic herbs, draining the rice and adding different spices in order to cook a special Iranian meal. So you can have a memorable meal that you shared with a hospitable and friendly Iranian family!
