What it means
ریحان (reyhân) is basil, the aromatic herb with sweet, slightly peppery leaves. The word is a direct borrowing from Arabic ريحان (rayhân), which in Arabic refers to fragrant plants and especially sweet basil. In everyday Persian speech reyhân means specifically the culinary basil plant (Ocimum basilicum). It is closely related in feel to another fresh herb, نعناع (na’na), mint, because both appear fresh on the table as eating herbs rather than cooked into dishes.
How to use it
- ریحان تازه داری؟ (reyhân-e taze dari?) “Do you have fresh basil?”
- با پنیر و ریحان میخورم. (ba panir o reyhân mikhoram.) “I eat it with cheese and basil.”
- ریحان رو بذار رو میز کنار نعناع. (reyhân ro bezar ru miz kenar na’na.) “Put the basil on the table next to the mint.”
- یه دسته ریحان از باغچه چیدم. (ye daste reyhân az baghche chidam.) “I picked a bunch of basil from the garden.”
Cultural note
In Iran, basil is served fresh at the table as part of the herb platter called sabzi-khordan, where diners wrap leaves in flatbread with cheese and walnuts. The word reyhân also appears in classical Persian poetry, used by poets including Hafez as an image of fresh beauty and garden abundance. Growing basil in a small pot on a windowsill or balcony is common in Iranian households, making it both a culinary and a decorative plant in everyday life.