Iranian cuisine

Iranian cuisine comprises the culinary traditions of Iran. Due to the historically common usage of the term "Persia" to refer to Iran in the Western world, it is alternatively known as Persian cuisine, despite Persians being only one of a multitude of Iranian ethnic groups who have contributed to Iran's culinary traditions.

Iran has a rich variety of traditional dishes, and has influenced many other cuisines over the ages, among them Caucasian cuisine, Central Asian cuisine, Greek cuisine, Levantine cuisine, Mesopotamian cuisine, Russian cuisine and Turkish cuisine. Aspects of Iranian cuisine have also been significantly adopted by Indian cuisine and Pakistani cuisine through various historical Persianate sultanates that flourished during Muslim rule on the Indian subcontinent, most significantly the Mughal Empire.

Typical Iranian main dishes are combinations of rice with meat, vegetables and nuts. Herbs are frequently used, such as parsley, fenugreek, chives, mint, savory and coriander, in their fresh and dried forms. Another consistent feature of Persian cuisine is the abundant use of fruits, in combination with various meats as well as in rice dishes; the most commonly used fruits include plums, pomegranates, quince, prunes, apricots, barberries, and raisins. Characteristic Iranian spices and flavourings such as saffron, cardamom, and dried lime and other sources of sour flavoring, cinnamon, turmeric and parsley are mixed and used in various dishes.

Outside of Iran, Iranian cuisine can be found in cities with significant Iranian diaspora populations, namely London, the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington Metropolitan Area, Vancouver, Toronto, Houston and especially Los Angeles and its environs.