How did the history of Iran, the most Eastern of the Middle Eastern countries, affect the Persian cuisine?

Answer 1

Iran is the most eastern of Middle Eastern nations. It spans a region between the warm Persian Gulf and the cold Caspian Sea, encompassing several agricultural climates suited to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Its dominance of the Middle East, parts of the Balkans, and areas of India during the Persian Empire dispersed indigenous products such as spinach, pomegranates, and saffron throughout the region. Later trade routes between China and Syria (the Silk Road) and between India and Africa crossed through Iran, introducing rice, tea, eggplants, citrus fruits, tamarind, and garam masala (the spice blend used in curried dishes) from these eastern cuisines. Though the cooking of Iran, usually called Persian cuisine, is very similar to other Middle Eastern foods, it is famous for its sophisticated rice dishes and its use of fruits for flavoring. The national dish is chelo kebab, which is thinly sliced pieces of marinated, charcoal-grilled lamb served over rice seasoned with butter, egg yolks, saffron, and sumac. Soups and sauces are given a sweet and sour taste by combining different ripe and unripe fruits, such as oranges, barberries, cherries, dates, grapes, plums, pomegranates, quinces, and raisins with astringent seasonings, including lemon juice, vinegar, tamarind, and sumac.