گاو

Gâv-mish, the Caspian water buffalo, is the prized dairy animal of Mazandaran and Gilan. Its milk is heavier and richer than cow's milk and is the source of the cream-like kashk-e gâv-mish and the high-fat butter that northern Iranian cuisine depends on. Buffalo-milk smetana from the Caspian region is sold in Tehran specialty shops as a delicacy, and traditional Mazandarani cooks insist that real lighvân-style yogurt has to come from buffalo, not cow.