برنج

What it means

برنج (berenj) means “rice.” The staple grain of Persian cuisine. Iran’s northern provinces (Gilan, Mazandaran) are major rice-producing regions.

How to use it

• برنج می‌خرم (berenj mikharam) “I am buying rice”
• این برنج ایرانی است (in berenj irâni ast) “This is Iranian rice”
• برنج پخته (berenj-e pokhte) “cooked rice”

Iranian rice culture

• چلو (chelo) “plain steamed Persian rice”
• پلو (polo) “rice cooked with other ingredients”
• تهدیگ (tahdig) “the crispy bottom layer of rice”, a signature Iranian element
• زعفران (za’farân) “saffron, often used to color rice”

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab