The first Farsi word I taught my Italian roommate was not salâm. It was not mersi. It was تحدیگ. tahdig. because he walked into the kitchen while I was flipping a pot of rice upside down onto a plate, and the golden, crispy bottom hit the ceramic with a sound that made him stop scrolling Instagram.
“What is THAT?” he said.
And just like that. before any grammar lesson, before any alphabet chart. Giovanni learned his first Persian word. Through food. Because that is how Persian food vocabulary actually enters your brain: through smell, through hunger, through your friend’s kitchen at 11 PM.
If you are learning Farsi and you have not started with food words, you are doing it backwards. Food is how Iranians connect, argue, show love, and establish dominance. Every family dinner is a language lesson. Every restaurant visit is a vocabulary quiz. This is the reference list I wish I had when I started teaching. every Persian food word you need, organized by category, with the script, transliteration, and cultural context that textbooks skip. To hear food words pronounced on Forvo, search any term from this list.
Ingredients and Staples: The Foundation of Every Iranian Kitchen
Walk into any Iranian home and you will find these items. They are non-negotiable. An Iranian kitchen without rice is like an Italian kitchen without olive oil. technically possible, spiritually bankrupt.
برنج. berenj. rice (the center of the universe)
گوشت. gusht. meat (usually lamb or beef, context decides)
مرغ. morgh. chicken
ماهی. mâhi. fish
پیاز. piyâz. onion (the base of everything. if it is not sizzling, it is not cooking)
سیر. sir. garlic
گوجه فرنگی. goje farangi. tomato (literally “foreign plum”. Iranians named it after the foreigners who brought it)
سبزی. sabzi. herbs / greens (the collective noun for the mountain of parsley, cilantro, and fenugreek that defines Iranian cooking)
لوبیا. lubiyâ. beans
عدس. adas. lentils
نخود. nokhod. chickpeas
ماست. mâst. yogurt (served with almost every meal. not dessert, a condiment)
کره. kareh. butter
روغن. roghan. oil / fat
تخم مرغ. tokhm-e morgh. egg (literally “chicken seed”)
نان. nân. bread (formal) / نون. nun. bread (spoken Tehrani)
سیبزمینی. sib-zamini. potato (literally “ground apple”. and also one of the most devastating insults in Farsi)
بادمجان. bâdemjân. eggplant (Iran’s most versatile vegetable)
خیار. khiyâr. cucumber (eaten with every meal, also means “fool” in slang)
لیمو. limu. lime / lemon
سبزی خوردن. sabzi khordan. herb platter (literally “herbs for eating”. the plate of raw herbs served at every Iranian meal)
Notice that نان (nân) becomes نون (nun) in spoken Tehrani Farsi. This is the â-to-u vowel shift. the most common difference between written and spoken Persian. You will see this pattern across food vocabulary: formal nân, street nun.
Spices and Seasonings: The Cabinet That Smells Like Your Grandmother’s House
Iranian cooking is not about heat. It is about depth. For a scholarly overview, the Encyclopaedia Iranica has extensive entries on Iranian food culture. Where Indian cuisine layers spice on spice, Iranian cuisine uses fewer spices but deploys them with surgical precision. Saffron in the rice. Turmeric in the stew base. Dried lime cracked open inside a gheimeh. Each one does a specific job.
زعفران. za’ferân. saffron (Iran produces 90% of the world’s supply. this is not a luxury here, it is a staple)
زردچوبه. zardchubeh. turmeric (literally “yellow wood”)
ادویه. adviyeh. spice mix (Iran’s version of garam masala. every family has a different recipe)
دارچین. dârchin. cinnamon
زیره. zireh. cumin
سماق. somâgh. sumac (the sour red powder sprinkled on kebabs. if you have not tried it, you are missing out)
لیمو عمانی. limu omâni. dried lime (literally “Omani lime”. the secret weapon of Persian stews)
گلاب. golâb. rosewater (literally “rose water”. used in desserts and for calming your nerves, apparently)
نعنا. na’nâ. mint
شنبلیله. shanbalileh. fenugreek (the herb that makes ghormeh sabzi smell like ghormeh sabzi)
گلپر. golpar. angelica powder (sprinkled on pomegranate seeds, fava beans, and anything that needs a floral kick)
نمک. namak. salt
فلفل. felfel. pepper
The word ادویه (adviyeh) deserves special attention. It comes from Arabic and means “medicines”. because spices were originally sold by apothecaries, not grocers. When an Iranian grandmother says her adviyeh is special, she is not bragging. She is prescribing.
Dish Names Decoded: What You Are Actually Saying When You Order
Most people order Persian dishes by sound, with zero idea what the words mean. But Iranian dish names are compound words. once you crack the code, you can decode any menu. Here are the most common ones, broken into their parts.
قورمه سبزی. ghormeh sabzi. “fried herbs” (ghormeh = fried/braised, sabzi = herbs). Iran’s national dish.
فسنجان. fesenjân. pomegranate walnut stew (etymology debated, possibly from the old Persian for “to grind”)
چلو کباب. chelow kabâb. plain rice + kebab (chelow = steamed rice without mix-ins)
پلو. polo. rice mixed with other ingredients (as in zereshk polo, baghali polo)
خورشت. khoresht. stew (the category name for all Persian stews. ghormeh sabzi is a khoresht)
آبگوشت. âb-gusht. “meat water” (âb = water, gusht = meat). The working-class stew you mash with a pestle.
آش. âsh. thick soup (ash reshteh = noodle soup, ash-e jo = barley soup)
کوبیده. kubideh. “pounded” (from kubidan = to pound). Ground meat kebab, pounded onto a skewer.
جوجه کباب. jujeh kabâb. “baby chicken kebab” (jujeh = chick/baby bird)
قیمه. gheimeh. split pea stew (from the Arabic for “minced”)
زرشک پلو. zereshk polo. barberry rice (zereshk = barberry, polo = mixed rice)
باقالی پلو. bâghâli polo. fava bean rice
تهدیگ. tahdig. “bottom of the pot” (tah = bottom, dig = pot). The crispy rice everyone fights over.
کشک بادمجان. kashk-e bâdemjân. whey and eggplant dip (kashk = dried whey, bâdemjân = eggplant. connected by the ezafe -e)
میرزا قاسمی. mirzâ ghâsemi. a northern (Gilani) eggplant and tomato dish, named after a person
دوغ. dugh. yogurt drink (carbonated, salted, with mint. the drink that confuses every foreigner)
فالوده. fâludeh. vermicelli ice dessert (from Shiraz. older than gelato)
باستنی. bâstani. ice cream (Iranian bastani has saffron and rosewater. nothing like Western ice cream)
See the pattern? Once you know polo means mixed rice, you can decode any polo dish on a menu. Once you know khoresht means stew, every stew makes sense. The vocabulary is modular.
Cooking Verbs: The Words Your Iranian Grandmother Shouts Across the Kitchen
Iranian grandmothers do not give polite instructions. They shout compound verbs at you while stirring three pots simultaneously. Here are the essential cooking verbs in both registers. because your grandmother will use the colloquial form, and the recipe book will use the formal one.
| English | Formal (ketâbi) | Colloquial (Tehrani) | Script |
|---|---|---|---|
| to cut / chop | boridan | boridan (same) | بریدن |
| to stir | ham zadan | ham zadan | هم زدن |
| to fry | sorkh kardan | sorkh kardan | سرخ کردن |
| to cook | pokhtan | pokhtan | پختن |
| to pour | rikhtan | rikhtan | ریختن |
| to steam / brew | dam kardan | dam kardan | دم کردن |
| to boil | jushândan | jushundan | جوشاندن |
| to soak | khis kardan | khis kardan | خیس کردن |
| to drain | âbkesh kardan | âbkesh kardan | آبکش کردن |
| to peel | pust kandan | pust kandan | پوست کندن |
| to mix | makhlut kardan | ghâti kardan | مخلوط کردن / قاطی کردن |
| to season | mazeh-dâr kardan | mazeh-dâr kardan | مزهدار کردن |
Most of these are compound verbs. a noun or adjective plus kardan (to do), zadan (to hit), or kandan (to pull). This is the dominant verb pattern in Farsi. Once you see it in cooking, you will start noticing it everywhere. in conversation, in songs, in the news. If you want the full picture of how Persian verbs work, our beginner’s guide covers the pattern.
At the Table: The Phrases Iranians Actually Say Before, During, and After a Meal
Knowing food words is half the battle. The other half is knowing what to say when the food arrives. Iranian dining is wrapped in taarof. the ritualized politeness that governs every social interaction. Here are the phrases you will hear at every Iranian table.
بفرمایید. befarmâyid. “please, go ahead / help yourself” (the single most important word at any Iranian meal. the host says it approximately 400 times)
نوش جان. nush-e jân. “bon appétit” (literally “sweet to your soul”. said before eating)
دستت درد نکنه. dastet dard nakoneh. “may your hand not hurt” (thanking the cook. you MUST say this)
قربون دستت. ghorbun-e dastet. “I’d sacrifice myself for your hand” (an intensified version of the above. casual, warm)
بخور!. bokhor!. “eat!” (a command, not a suggestion. your Iranian host’s primary mode of communication)
بازم بکش. bâzam bekesh. “serve yourself more” (you will hear this even when your plate is full)
سیر شدم. sir shodam. “I’m full” (what you say. nobody believes you)
دیگه جا ندارم. digeh jâ nadâram. “I literally have no more room” (what you say after the third attempt. still nobody believes you)
خدا قوت. khodâ ghovat. “God give you strength” (said to someone who is working. including the cook)
زیاد زحمت کشیدید. ziyâd zahmat keshidid. “you went to so much trouble” (formal appreciation for the meal. the host will say “no trouble at all”)
The real trick is the three-round refusal. When the host offers more food, you refuse. They offer again. You refuse again. They offer a third time. Now you can either accept (if you actually want more) or deploy the full mersi, mersi, dastet dard nakoneh shutdown. Accept on the first offer and you look greedy. Refuse on the first offer only and they will put food on your plate anyway. Three rounds is the protocol.
Tea and Drinks: Iran’s Real National Beverage
Coffee may be in the name of the traditional ghahve-khâneh (coffeehouse), but Iran runs on tea. An Iranian without tea is a person in crisis. Here is the vocabulary for Iran’s most important social ritual.
چای. châi. tea (from the Chinese cha. the same root as “chai” worldwide)
سماور. samâvar. samovar (from Russian. the large tea urn found in every Iranian home)
استکان. estekân. tea glass (the small, waist-shaped glass. never a mug, never a cup)
نعلبکی. na’lbeki. saucer (some people pour tea INTO the saucer to cool it, then sip from there)
قند. ghand. sugar cube (you hold it between your teeth and sip tea through it. this is an art form)
نبات. nabât. rock candy (saffron-infused crystal sugar, dissolved in tea)
دم کردن. dam kardan. to brew (same verb used for steaming rice. the tea steeps on top of the samovar)
دم کشیدن. dam keshidan. to steep / let brew (the waiting period after brewing)
دوغ. dugh. yogurt drink (salted, carbonated, with mint. served with kebab, confuses Westerners)
شربت. sharbat. sweet drink / syrup (the origin of the English word “sherbet”. rosewater, saffron, or sour cherry versions)
The sugar cube technique. قند (ghand) between the front teeth, tea sipped through it. is disappearing among younger Iranians. But in traditional households and among older generations, it is still the correct way to drink tea. If an elderly Iranian offers you ghand, take it. It is a small act of cultural transmission.
Quick Reference: 100+ Persian Food Words
Here is the full list in one scannable table. Print it, screenshot it, or. better yet. import it into Anki and drill it.
| Category | Farsi | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staple | برنج | berenj | rice |
| Staple | نان / نون | nân / nun | bread |
| Staple | گوشت | gusht | meat |
| Staple | مرغ | morgh | chicken |
| Staple | ماهی | mâhi | fish |
| Staple | تخم مرغ | tokhm-e morgh | egg |
| Staple | ماست | mâst | yogurt |
| Staple | کره | kareh | butter |
| Staple | روغن | roghan | oil |
| Vegetable | پیاز | piyâz | onion |
| Vegetable | سیر | sir | garlic |
| Vegetable | گوجه فرنگی | goje farangi | tomato |
| Vegetable | سبزی | sabzi | herbs / greens |
| Vegetable | بادمجان | bâdemjân | eggplant |
| Vegetable | خیار | khiyâr | cucumber |
| Vegetable | سیبزمینی | sib-zamini | potato |
| Vegetable | لیمو | limu | lime / lemon |
| Legume | لوبیا | lubiyâ | beans |
| Legume | عدس | adas | lentils |
| Legume | نخود | nokhod | chickpeas |
| Legume | باقالی | bâghâli | fava beans |
| Herb | سبزی خوردن | sabzi khordan | herb platter |
| Herb | نعنا | na’nâ | mint |
| Herb | شنبلیله | shanbalileh | fenugreek |
| Herb | ریحان | reyhân | basil |
| Herb | جعفری | ja’fari | parsley |
| Herb | گشنیز | geshniz | cilantro |
| Herb | تره | tarreh | leek / chives |
| Spice | زعفران | za’ferân | saffron |
| Spice | زردچوبه | zardchubeh | turmeric |
| Spice | ادویه | adviyeh | spice mix |
| Spice | دارچین | dârchin | cinnamon |
| Spice | زیره | zireh | cumin |
| Spice | سماق | somâgh | sumac |
| Spice | لیمو عمانی | limu omâni | dried lime |
| Spice | گلاب | golâb | rosewater |
| Spice | گلپر | golpar | angelica powder |
| Spice | نمک | namak | salt |
| Spice | فلفل | felfel | pepper |
| Dish | قورمه سبزی | ghormeh sabzi | herb stew |
| Dish | فسنجان | fesenjân | pomegranate walnut stew |
| Dish | چلو کباب | chelow kabâb | rice and kebab |
| Dish | کوبیده | kubideh | pounded meat kebab |
| Dish | جوجه کباب | jujeh kabâb | chicken kebab |
| Dish | خورشت | khoresht | stew (category) |
| Dish | آبگوشت | âb-gusht | meat broth stew |
| Dish | آش رشته | âsh reshteh | noodle soup |
| Dish | قیمه | gheimeh | split pea stew |
| Dish | زرشک پلو | zereshk polo | barberry rice |
| Dish | باقالی پلو | bâghâli polo | fava bean rice |
| Dish | تهدیگ | tahdig | crispy rice bottom |
| Dish | کشک بادمجان | kashk-e bâdemjân | whey eggplant dip |
| Dish | میرزا قاسمی | mirzâ ghâsemi | smoky eggplant dish |
| Dish | کته | kateh | sticky rice (no drain method) |
| Dessert | فالوده | fâludeh | vermicelli sorbet |
| Dessert | باستنی | bâstani | saffron ice cream |
| Dessert | حلوا | halvâ | halva (saffron flour dessert) |
| Dessert | شیرینی | shirini | pastry / sweets |
| Dessert | زولبیا بامیه | zulbiyâ bâmiyeh | fried pastry (Ramadan staple) |
| Fruit | انار | anâr | pomegranate |
| Fruit | هندوانه | hendevâneh | watermelon |
| Fruit | زرشک | zereshk | barberry |
| Fruit | آلو | âlu | plum / prune |
| Fruit | پسته | pesteh | pistachio |
| Fruit | گردو | gerdu | walnut |
| Fruit | بادام | bâdâm | almond |
| Drink | چای | châi | tea |
| Drink | دوغ | dugh | yogurt drink |
| Drink | شربت | sharbat | sweet syrup drink |
| Drink | قهوه | ghahveh | coffee |
| Tea | سماور | samâvar | samovar |
| Tea | استکان | estekân | tea glass |
| Tea | نعلبکی | na’lbeki | saucer |
| Tea | قند | ghand | sugar cube |
| Tea | نبات | nabât | rock candy |
| Verb | بریدن | boridan | to cut |
| Verb | سرخ کردن | sorkh kardan | to fry |
| Verb | پختن | pokhtan | to cook |
| Verb | هم زدن | ham zadan | to stir |
| Verb | ریختن | rikhtan | to pour |
| Verb | دم کردن | dam kardan | to steam / brew |
| Verb | جوشاندن | jushândan | to boil |
| Verb | آبکش کردن | âbkesh kardan | to drain |
| Phrase | نوش جان | nush-e jân | bon appétit |
| Phrase | دستت درد نکنه | dastet dard nakoneh | bless your hands (thanks cook) |
| Phrase | بفرمایید | befarmâyid | please, help yourself |
| Phrase | سیر شدم | sir shodam | I’m full |
| Bread | سنگک | sangak | pebble-baked flatbread |
| Bread | بربری | barbari | thick sesame bread |
| Bread | لواش | lavâsh | thin flatbread |
| Bread | تافتون | tâftun | round oven bread |
That is 100+ words across every category of Persian food. If you are serious about retaining them, do not just read this list. use it. Import these words into Anki as flashcards with the triple format (script + transliteration + meaning) and drill them daily. Fifteen minutes a day is enough.
How Food Vocabulary Connects to Everything Else in Farsi
Here is what makes food vocabulary uniquely powerful for language learning: food words are not isolated. They connect to every other part of Persian.
Vegetables are insults. Calling someone a potato (sib-zamini) attacks their honor. Calling them a cucumber (khiyâr) calls them a fool. Persian food vocabulary doubles as a complete insult system.
Cooking verbs are everyday verbs. Dam kardan means “to steam rice” and also “to brew tea.” Sorkh kardan means “to fry” but the root sorkh (red) appears everywhere. sorkh shodan means “to blush.” Kitchen vocabulary bleeds into daily Farsi.
Table phrases are taarof phrases. Befarmâyid, nush-e jân, dastet dard nakoneh. these are the same politeness formulas used in every Iranian social interaction, not just at meals. Learn them at the dinner table and you will use them everywhere.
Food words appear in holidays. Yalda Night revolves around watermelon (hendevâneh) and pomegranate (anâr). The Nowruz season has the haft-sin table and Sizdah Bedar picnic. the complete Persian holidays guide maps all of them. Food vocabulary is cultural literacy.
If you are just starting your Farsi journey, our beginner’s guide to learning Persian maps out the full path from zero. and food is one of the best places to begin.
Go Deeper: The Full Persian Food Vocabulary Series
Food is just one domain. see all topic vocabulary for 20 more categories from family to politics.
Food is just one domain. see all topic vocabulary for 20 more categories from family to politics.
For non-food vocabulary organized by frequency and level, see the Essential Persian Vocabulary hub. it covers the 500 most important words across all categories.
Want to put these food words to the test? Our reading practice series includes graded texts from A2 to B2. including real-world content like restaurant menus, recipes, and food blogs that use exactly the vocabulary on this page.
This page is your reference. the master word list. If you want to look up words in Vajehyab dictionary, it covers every term here with full definitions in Persian. But each category has its own deep dive with etymology, cultural context, and phrases you won’t find anywhere else:
- What Persian Dish Names Actually Mean. the linguistics behind ghormeh sabzi, fesenjan, kubideh, and 20 more dishes
- How to Read a Persian Menu. decode every section of an Iranian restaurant menu
- Tarof at the Table: 25 Phrases for Every Stage of a Meal. what to say before, during, and after eating
- Persian Cooking Verbs: 20 Actions. the compound verbs your Iranian grandmother shouts across the kitchen
- Persian Tea Vocabulary. every word for Iran’s most important ritual
- Persian Bread and Rice. the vocabulary of Iran’s two sacred carbs
- Persian Spice Cabinet. the words behind saffron, sumac, and dried lime
FAQ
What are the most important Persian food words to learn first?
How do you say “bon appétit” in Farsi?
What does tahdig mean in Persian?
What is the difference between chelow and polo in Persian?
Why do Iranians say “dastet dard nakoneh” after a meal?
Food is where Farsi stops being a language on a screen and starts being a language in your mouth. literally. Every word on this list connects to a taste, a smell, a grandmother yelling bokhor! across a crowded sofreh.
If you want to turn this vocabulary into something you can actually use. not just recognize. ZabanYar lets you import word lists and builds flashcard drills automatically. Paste this list in, and the app creates your Persian food vocabulary deck in seconds. No manual card creation needed.
And if you want to practice these words with a real person. someone who will correct your pronunciation of ghormeh before you embarrass yourself at a dinner party. book a lesson with me on Preply. We will cook, eat, and argue about whose tahdig is better. Yours will be worse. But your Farsi will be better.
