What it means
ماهی سفید (mâhi-ye sefid), literally “white fish,” is the common name for the Caspian kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum), one of the most culturally significant fish in Iran. Both parts of the name are native Persian: ماهی (mâhi) means fish and سفید (sefid) means white. The fish is found in the Caspian Sea and migrates up rivers in the northern provinces to spawn each spring. It is leaner and more delicate in flavour than salmon, with a mild, slightly sweet flesh. Do not confuse it with ماهی آزاد (mâhi-ye âzâd), the salmon, which is a different species entirely.
How to use it
- سبزی پلو با ماهی سفید عید ماست. (sabzi polo bâ mâhi-ye sefid eyd-e mâst.) “Herbed rice with white fish is our Nowruz tradition.”
- ماهی سفید تازه از بازار گرفتم. (mâhi-ye sefid tâze az bâzâr gereftam.) “I bought fresh white fish from the market.”
- ماهی سفید خوشمزهتر از ماهی آزاده به نظرم. (mâhi-ye sefid khoshmaze-tar az mâhi-ye âzâde be nazaram.) “To me, white fish tastes better than salmon.”
- قیمت ماهی سفید نزدیک عید خیلی بالا میره. (qeymat-e mâhi-ye sefid nazdik-e eyd kheyli bâlâ mire.) “The price of white fish goes very high around Nowruz.”
Cultural note
ماهی سفید is the essential ingredient in sabzi polo ba mahi, the herbed rice and fish dish eaten on Nowruz eve across Iran. The timing is not coincidental: kutum naturally migrate to spawn in early spring, making them fresh and abundant exactly at the New Year. The dish is so deeply tied to the occasion that many Iranians consider a Nowruz eve table incomplete without it. Overfishing and Caspian pollution have put pressure on kutum stocks, and Iran has run restocking programmes to protect the species.