Language/Iranian-persian/Vocabulary/Lesson-13:-Talking-about-food-and-drink

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◀️ Lesson 12: Ordering food and drink — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Lesson 14: Past tense of regular verbs ▶️

Iranian Persian Vocabulary → Unit 6: Food and drink → Lesson 13: Talking about food and drink

As a Persian language teacher, I have come across many students who express their love for Iranian cuisine. In this lesson, we will learn the most common vocabulary related to food and drink in Persian, and how to describe dishes, ingredients, and flavors.

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: False Friends & Swimming.

Vocabulary

Let's start with the most commonly used Iranian Persian words associated with food and drink.

Iranian Persian	Pronunciation	English
آب	âb	Water
نوشابه	nûshâbeh	Soda
نبات	nabât	Syrup
چای	chây	Tea
قهوه	qahweh	Coffee
شیر	shîr	Milk
ماست	mâst	Yogurt
پنیر	panîr	Cheese
گوشت	gosht	Meat
مرغ	morgh	Chicken
ماهی	mâhî	Fish
برنج	berenj	Rice
نان	nân	Bread
سبزیجات	sabzîjât	Vegetables
میوه	mevveh	Fruit
شکلات	shokolât	Chocolate
کیک	kîk	Cake
بیسکوییت	biskuyît	Biscuits
آجیل و خشکبار	âjil o khoshkbâr	Nuts and dried fruits

Talking About Food

To describe a dish or express your preferences and dislikes in Iranian Persian, you can use the following words and phrases:

لذیذ است - laziz ast - it's delicious
خوشمزه است - khoshmaze ast - it tastes good
تلخ است - talkh ast - it's bitter
شیرین است - shirin ast - it's sweet
تند است - tond ast - it's spicy
بدبو دارد - badbu dârad - it smells bad
گرم است - garm ast - it's hot
سرد است - sard ast - it's cold
با فلفل سیاه است - bâ felefele siah ast - it's peppered
بدرد نمی‌خورد - bedard nemikhvârd - it's not suitable

Here are some examples of how to use these phrases in sentences:

این غذا لذیذ است - În ghazâh laziz ast - This food is delicious.
من از غذای تند خوشم نمی‌آید - Man az ghazâye tond khoshm nemiyâyad - I don't like spicy food.
مرغ سرخ‌کرده بسیار خوشمزه است - Morgh-e sorkh-karde basyâr khoshmaze ast - The roasted chicken is very tasty.

Beverages

Iranian Persian culture features a unique variety of beverages. Let's learn about some of them:

Doogh: This is a cold yogurt drink mixed with water, salt, and sometimes mint or other herbs. It has a slightly sour taste and is very refreshing, especially during hot weather.
Sekanjabin: It is a traditional Iranian drink made from honey, vinegar, and mint syrup, with water added. It is served cold, usually over ice, and is a popular treat during the summer months.
Sherbet: There are various types of sherbets in Iran, each with a unique blend of flavors and ingredients such as fruits, flowers, and herbs. They are usually made by boiling the ingredients into a syrup and then diluting them with water before serving.
Tea: Iranians drink tea at any time of day, but especially during breakfast and after meals. It is typically made with black tea leaves and served hot, often accompanied by cubes of sugar or dried fruit.
Coffee: Coffee is also popular among Iranian people, often served with sugar cubes or Turkish delights.

Table Manners

Iranian table manners are unique, and understanding them is necessary when dining with Iranians. Here are a few tips:

Hands or utensils?: In Iran, most people will eat with a fork and a spoon or directly with their hands, but not with a knife. Even when using utensils, it is customary to use bread as a makeshift utensil to scoop or wrap up food.
Passing dishes: Instead of serving food individually, Iranians usually place all dishes on the table and share them. When passing dishes, try to use your right hand to touch the plate or bowl and pass it in a counter-clockwise direction.
Manners: Iranians believe that eating silently is a sign of enjoyment, and they usually do not talk much while eating. Belching, slurping, or similar noises are considered impolite.
Sofreh Aghd: Sofre Aghd is a traditional Persian ceremony of spreading out a cloth on the floor, placing a few items such as bread, cheese, and nuts on it, and sitting around it and sharing a meal together.

I hope this lesson has been informative and helped you learn more about Iranian Persian cuisine! Practice with your classmates or Iranian friends and enjoy the delicious flavors of Iranian cuisine together!

Exercises

1. How do you say "bread" in Iranian Persian? 2. What is "Doogh"? 3. Give three examples of Iranian table manners.

Sources

Table of Contents - Iranian Persian Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Unit 1: Basic greetings and introductions

Unit 2: Sentence structure and basic verb conjugation

Unit 3: Talking about daily routines

Unit 4: Object pronouns and possessive pronouns

Unit 5: Persian culture and customs

Unit 6: Food and drink

Unit 7: Past tense and regular verbs conjugation

Unit 8: Persian literature and arts

Unit 9: Travel and transportation

Unit 10: Imperative mood, infinitives and complex sentences

Unit 11: Persian history and geography

Unit 12: Leisure and entertainment

Other Lessons

◀️ Lesson 12: Ordering food and drink — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Lesson 14: Past tense of regular verbs ▶️

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