TEHRAN – The Iranian dish Zeytoon Parvardeh, which is made in the northern province of Gilan, has been named the world’s best vegan dish. 

It was ranked first among the top 50 best traditional vegan dishes in the world by TasteAtlas, an online travel guide for traditional food. 

The list which was published last week, contains food from different countries including Turkey, Italy, Iraq, the U.S., and India.

From the Iranian Gilan province, Zeytoon Parvardeh combines pitted olives with pomegranate molasses. Ground walnuts, garlic, fresh herbs like cilantro and mint, pomegranate seeds, and generous amounts of olive oil are also included.

Traditionally served chilled, Zeytoon Parvardeh is usually eaten as an appetizer or snack with lavash bread.

Founded in 2015 by Croatian journalist and entrepreneur Matija Babi?, TasteAtlas collates authentic recipes, food critic reviews, and research articles about popular ingredients and dishes.

Describing itself as ‘a world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants’, it features an interactive global food map with dish icons shown in their respective regions and purportedly contains nearly 10,000 dishes, drinks, and ingredients, as well as 9,000 restaurants.

ABU/AM