A beautiful Middle East country, Iran is famous for its lush forests, splendid mountains, and rich heritage. Amidst the exceptional World Heritage Sites and monuments, don’t overlook the delicious Iranian cuisine on offer, specifically Persian breakfast food.
What Is Special About Persian Breakfast?
Persian breakfast has a lot of variety for veg and non-veg tourists. You will find a combination of flatbreads, feta cheese, eggs, jams, honey, and butter. With all these healthy and light breakfast foods, everyone can find a nutritious Iranian breakfast dish according to their taste.
You can also get a bowl of exotic Iranian haleem, adasi, or kaleh pache. They are usually served with fresh white cheese, labneh, and a variety of bread, lavash being the most popular among all. Persians also like to take their traditional tea alongside their breakfast food.
Most Famous Persian Breakfast In Iran
Persian Bread
Iranian cuisine features a wide range of bread, baked with special techniques and ingredients. Persian breads go well with almost every meal in Iran and are a significant part of breakfast in Iran.
There are numerous kinds of bread in Iran, among which four are very famous. These four include barbari with a thick structure; sangak, made from whole wheat flour, and Lavash, an oven-baked flatbread. Last but not least is a round flatbread Taftoon made from all-purpose flour.
Every local bakery and restaurant in Iran serves freshly baked bread as an appetizer or side dish. You can enjoy these loaves of bread topped with butter, cheese, jams, honey, or omelets. They also taste incredible with a variety of meat and vegetable stews.
Persian Breakfast Soup And Porridge
Adasi (Persian Lentil Soup)
Adasi is a lentil soup breakfast in Iran, enriched with proteins, iron, and vitamins. It is also a great Persian appetizer graced with herbs and Iranian spices.
This local soup is a blend of classical vegetarian ingredients, including green lentils, onions, cumin powder, salt, pepper, and turmeric. The topping of ground angelica herb makes it more flavorful and fragrant.
Adasi is a perfect Persian breakfast for people who prefer proteins and vegetables to start their day. When eaten for breakfast, the soup serves as an energy-boosting meal. Locals also enjoy it during winter, as it gives a soul-warming effect.
Aush Reshteh (Persian Noodle Soup)
Aush Reshteh is a broth-based Persian food served at breakfast and brunch. You can also commonly find it amongst the tasty street foods of Iran.
Iranian soups have more than 50 varieties, and this is the most popular among the natives. The broth is an unusual noodle soup that you might have never tried.
The distinctive flavors of this Persian breakfast come from fried onions, kashk, and reshteh. Furthermore, it is cooked with vegetables, beans, and chickpeas. All these ingredients make it a healthy and nutritious meal to start your day.
This iconic Persian soup is served topped with kashk. It has a thick and creamy texture with mouth-watering aromas and a slightly acidic character.
Kaleh Pacheh (Head And Hooves Soup)
The next Persian breakfast dish is something that you should never miss in Iran, kaleh pacheh. It is an exotic stew of lamb’s head and hooves for adventurous foodies.
The dish is prepared with great care and takes lots of time to maintain its zesty flavor. The head and hooves are simmered with fried onions, pepper, and spices and cooked for hours. It results in soft and tender meat with an extraordinary taste.
Kaleh pacheh is a very delicious but high-calorie dish, therefore, it’s probably wise to watch your consumption. In traditional Iranian restaurants, Kaleh pacheh is served early in the morning, so wake up a bit earlier to avoid the crowd.
Haleem (Persian Meat And Wheat Porridge)
Haleem is an Arabic porridge dish widely eaten across Asia. In Iran, it is considered a traditional stew served at breakfast. Similar to many Persian breakfasts, haleem is also a healthy option to start your day.
This breakfast in Iran features a combination of wheat, shredded meat, and some other ingredients. It takes hours to make the dish, but the wait is always worth it. Another good point is that most vendors make it in huge quantities for quick service.
Haleem is eaten with Persian flatbread, which pairs perfectly with its thick creamy texture. The combination of both will keep you full for a longer time.
Sweet Persian Breakfast Foods
Persian Cream And Honey
If you ever crave something sweet and unique to begin your day in Iran, nothing is better than honey and cream. It is another energy-boosting Iranian breakfast food. The soft and sweet combination of cream and honey is the favorite breakfast of many locals.
This healthy Iranian dish is made with a mixture of butter, honey, and cream. Sometimes, chocolate cream is added to make it more tempting. It is eaten with Persian pastry or bread. The dry texture of the bread pairs perfectly with the smooth consistency of cream and honey.
Persian Jams
Jam is an everyday treat for the locals in Iran. This sweet and delectable Persian breakfast is a simple yet delicious way to start your day. It is usually prepared by Iranian women in large amounts to serve guests and families.
They made a variety of fruit and vegetable jams. The most common Iranian jams are carrot, apple, mulberry, strawberry, apricot, pineapple, and cherry. You should try these jams with Persian pastry or bread and hot sips of tea for a satisfying and tasty breakfast.
Persian Breakfast – Omelets
Khagineh (Stuffed Persian Sugar Omelet)
Khagineh is a delicious Persian breakfast commonly known as a sugar omelet. Originating from Azerbaijan, this sweet omelet is very popular among the Azeri people of Iran.
In Iran, khagine is prepared with different recipes and ingredients. The word “Kagh” means egg in Azeri, so it is obvious that the key ingredient is egg.
Unlike typical omelets, these are stuffed with walnut and date filling and contain semolina instead of flour. It is a very light and fluffy Iranian breakfast and tea time snack. A drizzle of saffron syrup and a dollop of whipped cream makes it an absolute heaven for sweet lovers.
Traditional Persian Omelets
In Iran, omelets are among the most popular Persian breakfast foods. They usually have a fluffy and soft texture, like any scrambled egg. For Iranians, omelets are not just a breakfast meal, but they also eat them for lunch and dinner.
You can find a variety of omelets that have different ingredients and tastes. A traditional Iranian omelet includes eggs with lots of veggies and spices. The most famous ones are gojeh farangi and ghisava. It is usually enjoyed with fresh Persian flatbreads. Some places also serve omelets with steamed rice and pickled vegetables.
Persian Tea
Persian breakfast is incomplete without iconic Persian tea or chae. Traditional Iranian tea, also known as black tea, is made without milk. You can enjoy it with or without sugar according to your taste preference.
The deep reddish brown color and strong aromas of black tea leaves give a typical subtle flavor. You should try traditional Iranian tea with Persian pastry and sweets, or any breakfast item.
The hot sips will take your breakfast meal to a different level. A cup of warm and refreshing tea in the cold winter breeze is satisfying enough to comfort your soul.
Discovering More Persian Breakfast Foods In Iran
For Iranians, family reunions are very important, and these social gatherings are incomplete without traditional dishes.
It is a time-honored culture in Iran to serve classic delicacies at family functions and festivals. In fact, they are always willing to enjoy a beautiful time with their family over a nice Persian breakfast and dinner.
Some Iranian breakfast dishes are quite heavy, but many healthy and low-calorie foods are also available in Iranian cuisine. They contain a variety of seasonal vegetables, fruits, and legumes. With all the lavish and healthy dishes, black tea and flatbreads are a significant part of traditional breakfast in Iran.
