What it means
بربری (barbari) is a thick, oval flatbread with long ridges pressed down the surface and a shiny golden crust, usually about half a meter long. It is one of the four staple Iranian breads, alongside سنگک (sangak), لواش (lavash), and تافتون (taftoon). The name بربری comes from بربر (barbar), meaning foreigner or non-native. Persian inherited this word from Middle Persian barbarīg, which ultimately goes back to the Ancient Greek barbaros. Among the four breads, barbari is the thickest and most filling, while lavash is the thinnest.
How to use it
- دو تا بربری تازه بده لطفا. (do ta barbari-ye taze bede lotfan.) “Give me two fresh barbari breads, please.”
- صبحونه نون بربری با پنیر و چای خوردیم. (sobhune nun-e barbari ba panir va chai khordim.) “For breakfast we had barbari bread with cheese and tea.”
- این بربری هنوز داغه. (in barbari hanuz daghe.) “This barbari is still hot.”
- بربری رو با کنجد دوست دارم. (barbari ro ba konjed dust daram.) “I like barbari with sesame on top.”
Cultural note
Barbari is the classic breakfast bread in Iran, eaten fresh from the bakery with feta cheese, butter, jam, or honey, and a glass of tea. Bakeries that make it are called نانوایی بربری (nanvai-ye barbari), and in the mornings people often line up for a loaf straight out of the oven. The dough is brushed with a starchy glaze called رومال (rumal) before baking, which gives the top its shine, and sesame or nigella seeds are often scattered over it.