What it means
تخته گوشت (takhte-ye gusht) literally means meat board and refers to a cutting board or chopping board: the flat surface on which you cut, chop, or slice food. تخته (takhte) is the native Persian word for board or plank, and گوشت (gusht) means meat, also native Persian. The full phrase with the ezafe connector is تختهٔ گوشت (takhte-ye gusht), though in everyday speech the ezafe is often dropped and you simply hear تخته گوشت. A general alternative is تخته برش (takhte-ye borsh, cutting board) when you want to emphasize cutting rather than meat preparation.
How to use it
- گوشت رو روی تخته گوشت خرد کن. (Gushto ruye takhte gusht khord kon.) “Chop the meat on the cutting board.”
- تخته گوشت رو خوب بشور. (Takhte gushto khub beshu.) “Wash the cutting board thoroughly.”
- یه تخته گوشت بزرگ لازم داریم. (Ye takhte gusht-e bozorg lâzem dârim.) “We need a big cutting board.”
- سبزی رو روی تخته گوشت ریز کن. (Sabzio ruye takhte gusht riz kon.) “Finely chop the herbs on the cutting board.”
Cultural note
Iranian cooking involves a great deal of knife work: chopping large quantities of fresh herbs for dishes like ghormeh sabzi, dicing onions for virtually every stew, and breaking down whole cuts of lamb or chicken. As a result, a sturdy تخته گوشت is considered an essential item in every Iranian kitchen. Wooden boards are traditional, though plastic ones are now common for food-safety reasons. Many Iranian cooks keep separate boards for meat and for vegetables and herbs, especially in observant households that follow halal preparation guidelines.