Vegetarian Foods in Iran!

Vegetarian Foods in Iran!

Post from Saboktar By Maryam Raha

If you are a vegetarian and planning to visit Iran, the food might be one of your biggest concerns. Many people suppose that Iranian food is all about Kebabs, so finding yummy Iranian vegetarian foods is a big deal while traveling in Iran. However, this idea is not true!

Don’t worry about being a vegetarian while traveling to Iran! Be sure that you might gain weight in Iran but not lose even a gram!

First tip: Know Iranian food and get the part you can have!

First of all, I should say that Iranian general cuisine is a combination of rice with a stew called Khoresh. Different stews have different mixture of beans, herbs, vegetables and meat, chicken or fish. People usually have the stews as a sauce for the white rice.

To be honest, although these stews are mostly non-vegetarian, trying them is a part of your Iranian cuisine experience. Therefore as a help, some restaurants cook the meat and chicken separately and just add it to stew when they are serving it. As a result, you can easily order your stew meat/chicken free!

What are famous Iranian vegetarian foods that you can find in restaurants?

1. Falafel kebab, cheap and yummy!

Falafel kebab is one of the Iranian vegetarian foods that you can find almost in every street in Iran. This food is really cheap in Iran and you can find a tasty falafel sandwich! Moreover, most of the falafel kebab restaurants are self served so you can fill up your sandwich with as many falafels and sides as you like! Don’t miss trying pickles with your falafel.

2. Aash, a green herbal soup!

In Iranian cuisine we have a variety of herbal green soups which are called Aash. Aash Reshteh is one of the most popular Aash that you can find almost everywhere in Iran. This Aash is a mixture of noodles and herbs and a top up special whey. So if you are vegan, don`t forget to ask it whey free.

3. Kashk bademjan and Mirza ghasemi, tastes like heaven for eggplant lovers!

If you are an eggplant lover, you should definitely try these two foods. Mirza Ghasemi, a local food for north of Iran is what I always have in my pocket to impress my non Iranian friends! Smokey eggplant plus garlic, tomato and egg are what make Mirza Ghasemi a super yummy vegetarian food! What If you are vegan? just ask it without eggs!

Another especial eggplant base food that you should not miss in Iran is Kashk Bademjan. This food is actually a mixture of eggplant, whey and fried onion!

4.Baghali Ghatogh, faba (fava) beans meal!

If you travel to Rasht or its surrounding, you can enjoy Baghali Ghatogh in most of the restaurants. This food is a famous mixture of fava beans, dills and eggs and you can have it with rice or bread.

5. lentils soup, pinto beans meal! (Adasi, Loubia)

These two meals are similar to plain dhal and Iranian people usually have them for breakfast. Both of the foods are vegan and really nutritious.

6.Adas Polo, (lentil rice)!

Polo in persian means rice. There are plenty of mixed rice recipes in Iranian cuisine and Lentil rice -Adas Polo- is one of the best ones. Iranian people serve Adas Polo with fried dates, fried sultanas and minced meet. Therefore, You can easily order it without minced meat as the meat is not cooked with the rest of the food.

7.Kuokuo! A new veggie patty!

If you are a burger lover and you feel like missing the burger experience since you are a vegetarian, kuku is probably a food for you. Kuku is a mixture of herbs or potato with eggs. It goes very well with salad or pickles.

Although vegetarian diet is not that much common in Iran, there are some restaurants or cafes which serve only Iranian vegetarian foods. Hence if you are looking for some more Iranian vegetarian foods, ask for these cafe or restaurants. I`m sure that they will add some new tastes to your journey!

If you are a food lover and specially a vegetarian one, you should definitely travel to Rasht in North of Iran. This city has recently joined to UNESCO creative cities network for its creative cuisine. Therefore, if you are planning to go to North of Iran and visit Caspian Sea, you will be delighted with the food there, vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

To sum up,  traveling as a vegetarian to Iran might seem like a challenge at first, but it won’t be a big deal. Just don`t worry and  give it a try and add some more vegetarian foods to your recipe book!

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Where to travel in Iran based on your personality

Check the article update here.

Want to take a trip to Iran? Need some advice for travel to Iran?

Here are some travel tips for Iran matching your personality type!

  1. Classic Traveler

Need a traditional guided trip? Do you think these kind of travels are less stressful? Do you Search for a trip full of history and art? If yes, so you may be into organization & stability. Iran has more than 3000 years of history, including ancient Achaemenes and Islamic history.

Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Kashan, Bam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Yazd are the best cities to visit many ancient Iran archaeological sites and also World Heritage Sites selected by UNESCO. (Book accommodation in Isfahan here)

  1. Architectural Lover

Iranian architecture is one of a kind! The both ancient and Islamic styles are found here. If you are into architecture you shouldn’t miss these destinations: Zoroastrian and Persian styles like what we can see at Chogha Zanbil, Susa, Ecbatana, Tomb of Cyrus the Great, Anahita Temple, Sassanid Rayen Castle are located in Shoosh, Shiraz, Kangavar, Rayen.

Islamic styles like Jameh Mosque of Nain and Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, Chehelsotoon, Ali Qapu, Agha Bozorg Mosque, Shah Mosque, Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque in Naqsh-i Jahan Square are located mostly in Isfahan, Nain, and Kashan.

In addition, you can see Qanat (an old system of water supply from a deep well), thatched house, Badgir (wind-tower), thatched house as traditional Persian elements in Tabas, Garmeh, yazd, Gonbad, Khorasan. (Book accommodation in Yazd here)

  1. Nature Lover, Eco-tourist, Adventurist

Do you love nature? Do you prefer adventurous trips that harm nature less than others? You are an Eco-tourist. This kind of tourist Love thrilling activities and Want to be immersed in the great outdoors. They are a wild traveler who should definitely visit all natural wonders here in Iran:

Desert trekking and camping Desert safari, off-road: dashte kavir, kavire lout, Garmeh village, Mesr village, Bayazeh village, Tabas, Badroud, Maranjab.

Visit the Iranian UNESCO Geopark, Hara Marine Forests (Mangrove forests), Crocodile farm, Namakdan Salt Cave at Qeshm Island,

Dark craggy mountains of Alborz Mountain, Alamut Valley visiting Ovan Lake at Qazvin Province, Alamut

Rudkhan Castle interconnected houses in Masule village in Fuman city

See Shiraz Canyon, Falak-ol-Aflak Castle, Bisheh Waterfall, Gahar Lake in Zagros Mountain: Lorestan province, Khoram abad city, Douroud city.

  1. Sporting Style

You never stop moving? Love to stay Active? You are an extreme traveler. There is a trip for you, too. you will have a memorable experience and feel much more active!

Hiking Alborz Mountains: Mt Damavand

Learning how to dive: Persian Gulf

Rafting: Zayandeh Rood River, Haraz River, Sefid Rood River, Arvand Rood River, Sirvan River

For skiing: downhills at Dizin, Shemshak

  1. Discovering Local Cultures, Different Life Style Experience

If you are interested in visiting different local cultures Iran has many different ethnic groups which includes Persians, Kurds, Lurs, Arabs, Baluchs, Turkmen and Turkic tribes.

Persians include the Mazandaranis and Gilakis: Tehran province, Isfahan province, Fars province, Alborz province, Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan, Yazd province, Kerman province, Bushehr province, Hormozgan province, Markazi province (Arak), Qom province, Semnan province, Qazvin province, Hamadan province, North Khorasan, Khuzestan province, northern half of Sistan and Baluchistan (Zabol), southern and western half of Golestan province and also Mazandaran and Gilan provincs. Kurds: Kordestan provinceWest Azerbaijan province Kermanshah and Ilam provinces North Khorasan province

Lurs: Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Khuzestan, Isfahan, Fars, Bushehr and Kuh-Gilu-Boir Ahmed provinces.

Arabs: Khuzestan Province,

Baluchs: Sistan and Baluchestan province

Turkmen: provinces of Golestān and North Khorasan.

Turkic tribes (include Qashqai people, Khorasani Turks, Afshar people, and Qarai Turks): Fars, Khuzestan and southern Isfahan, North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and Golestan provinces

Staying with Nomad people (Bakhtiari, Qashqaee, Shahsavan) will let you experience the feeling you can’t find anywhere else.

  1. Harmonious Traveler

Need a travel full of “Me time” looking for a place to relax? Need medical care?

If you need your “me time” back, you are a harmonious traveler. If you care about peace all the time and you might feel a responsibility to others so you may need a travel for retreatment.

Did you know Iran is one of the most rewarding destinations for Medical tourism and health tourism?

You can take a trip to Iran for low-cost medical treatment. Highly experienced and skilled doctors makes Iran one of the destination for medical tourists.

These are the places you should go:

Gondi hotel hospital and Moheb Mehr Hospital in Tehran, Mehr Hospital in Mashhad, Namazi hospital and The Central Hospital of Shiraz in Shiraz, they are cheap and have great medical facilities for Rhinoplasty (Nose Job), Plastic Surgery, Weight Loss, Cosmetic Dentistry, Cardiology and Medical Dentistry.

To relax and feel healthier you must experience Salt cave in Qeshm Island, get water therapy in Sarien Ardebil and Sabalan, use Mud volcanoes in Chabahar and Sistan o Baluchestan.

If you like to experience Islamic style beaches, two islands of Persian gulf, Kish Island and Qeshm Island and also Caspian Sea coast at Ramsar city, “Chaloos”,”Namak Abrood”,”Bandar Anzali” city have lots of spots.

  1. Gastronomy Tourist

Do you call yourself a food lover? You are a gastronomy tourist. No matter you are a meat lover or seafood fan, you can get the best of them in Iran.

Rice, meat, vegetables, nuts and herbs are Iranian main dishes combinations. Saffron, dried lime and other sources of sour flavoring, cinnamon, turmeric, and parsley are used in Iranian dishes.

Kebab, Khoresht (Stew), Polow, are some of main course of Iranian food.

You can go south to taste new kinds of spicy and fried food. None of them? Are you a meat lover? Go west and eat the best of meat dishes there. If you are into seafood you will love those incredible foods in Coastal areas of Iran north and south!

If you are vegetarian we suggest you to try “kashk-e bademjan”,” Mirza Ghassemi”, “Falafel”, and “āsh”.

(Book a Persian Food Tour here)

  1. Altruistic Traveler

Want to help others in your trip? Making the world a better place to live calms you down the most? Makes you feel you’re a better person? You are an Altruistic traveler. So you will enjoy service trips:

Sistan and Baluchestan is where you can help others and also perceive the local sense by visiting rural areas and village life.

  1. Offbeat Traveler

Do you often search for meaning? The offbeat traveler you are, you can have the most of the Iranian’s spirituality. Iran’s religious pilgrims will give you a new taste of Eastern historical mysticism.

So you must take a trip to Bastam, Yazd, Mashhad and Qom (Islamic), jolfa in Isfahan (Christianity), Chakchaku (Zoroastrian) and Pir Shaliyar (Mithraism and Zoroastrianism)

  1. Shop Lover

Many people like to shop. If you never get enough of shopping and window shopping, we have a lot of bazars! Some never end! There are destinations a shop lover may like. Iranian carpets, Termeh, Minakari and Khatamkari are made with Iranians artistic passion and will always help you remember how fabulous your trip was.

Visit great Bazar of Tehran, Tabriz Bazar, Bazar Vakil in Shiraz and Bazar Reza in Mashhad, to buy souvenirs and handicrafts.

  1. Artsy traveler

If you feel better when you get to share your artistic passion with others you are an artsy traveler and you would most enjoy to a destination which has a rich artistic history and would cheer you up and make you aware of your unknown feelings. A trip to one of the most beautiful cities in Iran, Isfahan, which has the second name “half of the world” makes you feel good.

Isfahan (which is also unofficially known as “Half of the world”), Shiraz (city of poems), Tabriz (Qajar’s second capital) Yazd (an incredible mixture of beauty and spirituality), Kashan, Tehran are most beautiful cities in Iran.

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Where is the first human settlement in Iran?

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Roman Ghirshman who was a Russian-born French archeologist who specialized in ancient Persia, said that Shushtar is the first human settlement in Iran and dates back to 10,000 years ago. There are myths in Persian oral history which say Hushang (the second Shāh to rule the world according to Ferdowsi’s Shāhnāmeh) built the city and named it Shushtar (literally means better than Susa) and some other say that it was the first city built after Noah’s storm.

Many cities have turned into cities as a response to village progress but Shushtar has always been a city.

For a comfortable stay in Shushtar, book Tabib Shushtari ecolodge, which is an old house dating back to Qajar’s.

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Rials or Tomans?

No sooner have you arrived in Iran than you will come up against the idiosyncratic local practice of talking about prices in tomans, even though the currency is denominated in rials. One toman is worth 10 rials.

To make matters worse, taxi drivers and shopkeepers will often say ‘one’ as shorthand for IR10,000. However, before you consider cancelling your trip on the grounds of commercial confusion, rest assured that after a few days you’ll understand that the five fingers the taxi driver just showed you means IR50,000. And as you start to get a feel for what things cost, you’ll understand that if something sounds too good to be true – or too bad – it probably is.

In the interim, you can always have the price written down, and then to double-check ask whether it’s in rials or tomans – using a calculator is handy, too, as the numbers show in Western rather than Arabic numerals.

And just when you’ve mastered the rial, remember that there are plans to replace it with the toman as Iran’s official currency over the coming years.

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