Tehran’s Culinary Mosaic: A Sensory Feast from Bazaar to Banquets (Steve Raines)
Tehran’s Culinary Mosaic: A Sensory Feast from Bazaar to Banquets (Steve Raines) Dawn breaks over Tehran’s labyrinthine Grand Bazaar, where the air pulses with life: charcoal smoke curling from kebab skewers, the sharp tang of pomegranate molasses bubbling in cauldrons, and the earthy perfume of fresh herbs sizzling in vast copper pots. This megacity of 15 million, cradled by the Alborz Mountains, is Iran’s unrelenting culinary soul — a tapestry of Persian ingenuity where slow-simmered stews whisper ancient poetry, street-side griddles hiss with urgency, and sweet shops gleam with rose-scented jewels. From the working-class stalls of Tajrish to the refined teahouses of Darband, Tehran devours its heritage daily, layer by fragrant layer, inviting strangers into a ritual as old as the Silk Road. Tehran’s cuisine marries thrift with opulence, Zoroastrian restraint with Safavid splendor. Staples emerge from humble homes and royal courts alike: saffron threads bleeding gold...