TEHRAN – On Tuesday, the 15th national festival of Iranian Ash, which is a thick Persian vegetable soup cooked in a wide variety of styles, opened to the public in Zanjan.

The opening ceremony was attended by Zanjan’s tourism chief Seyyed Saeid Safavi, Governor-General Mohsen Afsharchi, some travel insiders, and sightseers, CHTN reported.

“Ash is one of the traditional elements we have inherited from our predecessors and we must promote and preserve it,” Safavi said.

“Today, the Ash festival, which embraces a handicrafts exhibition as well,  is a good opportunity to introduce the ethnic and regional cultures of various ethnic groups of the country,” the official added.

A total of 120 stalls have been set up by exhibitors from all Iranian provinces, Safavi said.

Another lecturer, Afsharchi attached great importance to the introduction of Zanjan’s cultural heritage on a national scale. “The most important task of the cultural heritage and tourism (directorate) of Zanjan is to introduce the historical and tourism monuments of the province to the people nationwide,” Afsharchi said.  

The traditional slow-cooked soup is typically made with a variety of ingredients but may include flat wheat noodles, turmeric, vegetables (broccoli, carrots, onion, celery, spinach), legumes (chickpeas, kidney beans), herbs (dill, mint, coriander, minced cilantro), and optional meat such as ground lamb, beef or chicken.

Depending on the type of Ash, it could contain different types of grain, legumes (chickpeas, black-eye beans, lentils), vegetables, tomato, herbs (parsley, spinach, dill, spring onion ends, coriander, dried mint), yogurt, onions, oil, meat, garlic, and spices, such as salt, pepper, turmeric, saffron, etc.

When it comes to Iran, food is also a delightful vehicle for discovering the ancient land that has long been situated at the crossroads of history.

A paradise for foodie travelers, Iran is where it’s not just food on the menu. Some believe that Iranian cuisine is itself a metaphor for the country: It’s savory, sweet, fragrant, and incredibly complex.

Iranian cuisine delicately combines characteristics and peculiarities of Near and West Asia, India, and East Asia due to Iran’s checkered antiquity and the country's location as a hub of trade between East and West on the historic Silk Roads. Similarly, the Persians have influenced many cuisines as part of their once policy of expansion.

There are many secrets to know about the Persian kitchen. An example of those very special characteristics is the medicinal aspects of Persian cuisine.

Next time that you hear from an Iranian that some kind of food is Cold (Sard) or Warm (Garm) remember that they may be speaking about something other than the temperature of the food but with its influence on the body and soul - very comparable to some aspects of Chinese cuisine.

Rooted in traditional Persian medicine, these beliefs are still very popular even in educated Iranian families.  The ancient theory states that only a balanced diet with proportions of both types of food keeps people physically and mentally healthy.

For instance, some types of food such as lamb meat, onion, wheat, dates, nuts, and grapes are Warm and others such as beef, yogurt, cheese, cucumber, fish, beans, and rice are Cold.

AM