What it means
ترشی (torshi) is the Persian word for vegetables and herbs pickled in vinegar, eaten as a sharp, sour side dish. The name comes straight from the Persian adjective ترش (torsh), meaning sour, with the suffix ی turning it into a noun. It is not the same as شور (shoor), which refers to things preserved in salty brine like cucumbers or olives. Torshi is the vinegar based cousin, tangy rather than just salty.
How to use it
- یه کم ترشی بذار کنار غذا. (ye kam torshi bezar kenare ghaza.) “Put a little torshi next to the food.”
- این ترشی خیلی ترشه. (in torshi kheyli torshe.) “This pickle is very sour.”
- مامانم خودش ترشی درست میکنه. (mamanam khodesh torshi dorost mikone.) “My mom makes torshi herself.”
- بدون ترشی غذا نمیخورم. (bedoone torshi ghaza nemikhoram.) “I don’t eat a meal without torshi.”
Cultural note
Torshi appears on Iranian tables alongside almost any main dish, especially rich, oily foods, because its sourness cuts through the fat. There are many kinds, from torshi-e liteh, a soft blended herb pickle, to torshi made of mixed chopped vegetables called torshi makhloot. Many families make their own each year and keep large jars of it, since homemade torshi is a point of pride and often tastes sharper than the store bought kind.