What it means
توت (tut) means “mulberry” in Persian and is one of the most ancient fruit words in the language. It primarily refers to the fruit of the mulberry tree (درخت توت), which has been grown in Iran for millennia, both for its fruit and for its leaves, which feed silkworms. توت by itself most often implies the white mulberry (توت سفید), while توت شاهتوت (tut-e shâhtut) or شاهتوت (shâhtut) refers to the dark, intensely flavored black mulberry. In colloquial speech, توت can also be used loosely for “berry” in general contexts, though Persian has more specific terms for strawberry (توت فرنگی, tut-e farangi, meaning “foreign berry”) and other berries.
How to use it
- درخت توت تو حیاطمون داریم. (derakht-e tut tu heyâtamun dârim.) “We have a mulberry tree in our yard.”
- توت شاهتوت رو بیشتر دوست دارم. (tut-e shâhtut ro bishtar dust dâram.) “I prefer black mulberry.”
- توتها افتادن رو زمین. (tutha oftâdan ru zamin.) “The mulberries fell on the ground.”
- شربت توت خوشمزهست. (sharbat-e tut khoshmaze-st.) “Mulberry syrup is delicious.”
Cultural note
The mulberry tree has deep roots in Iranian rural life and is one of the trees most associated with childhood memories and village gardens across the country. Children famously shake or climb mulberry trees to collect the fallen fruit. Mulberries are eaten fresh, dried, and made into syrup (شربت توت) and jam. The word توت فرنگی (tut-e farangi), literally “Frankish” or “foreign berry,” shows how Iranians named the strawberry when it arrived from Europe, using توت as the base word for berries.