What it means
گردو (gerdu) is the walnut. The word is pure Persian, built from گرد (gerd, meaning round) and the suffix -و (-u), a formation that simply describes the walnut’s shape. Walnuts in Iran are eaten raw as a snack, stirred into rice dishes like fesenjân, and paired with feta cheese and fresh herbs on the sofreh. The whole nut in its shell is گردو, the shelled kernel is مغز گردو (maghz-e gerdu), and the green, unripe walnut picked before the shell hardens is گردو سبز (gerdu-ye sabz).
How to use it
- مغز گردو برای فسنجون لازم داریم. (maghz-e gerdu barâ-ye fesenjun lâzem dârim.) “We need walnut kernels for fesenjân.”
- گردو با پنیر خیلی میچسبه. (gerdu bâ panir kheili michesbe.) “Walnuts go really well with cheese.”
- درخت گردو تو باغشونه. (derakht-e gerdu tu bâgheshune.) “There is a walnut tree in their garden.”
- یه مشت گردو برام بیار. (ye mosht gerdu baram biâr.) “Bring me a handful of walnuts.”
Cultural note
Walnuts have been cultivated in Iran for thousands of years and appear throughout Persian cuisine and folk medicine. Fesenjân, one of the most celebrated Persian stews, is made from ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses: گردو is its essential ingredient. In traditional medicine, walnuts are considered a warm food and are often eaten in autumn and winter. They also appear on the haft-sin table at Nowruz in some regional traditions.