TEHRAN–The southern province of Fars will be hosting three gastronomy events during the second half of the current Iranian year, which ends on March 20, 2023, the deputy provincial tourism chief has said.

Two festivals and a conference on food tourism are scheduled to be held in the province by the end of the year, Ebrahim Bakhtiari explained on Wednesday.

Local food of the province needs to be introduced and promoted properly, and this can only be achieved through events such as conferences and festivals, in close collaboration with the private sector, the official added.

Private companies have entered into Fars’s local cuisine industry for almost a year and a half now, offering foreign tourists local cuisine education tours, he noted.

Travel packages, including local food and drinks, are also designed for foreign trippers, he mentioned.

Iran is the paradise of foodies. Every province and even every city of Iran has its specific delectable dishes. So, one can enjoy a wide range of foods here in Iran and Kermanshah is one of the most popular places among foodies.

The cornerstone of every Persian meal is rice or Polo. Persian cuisine is, above all, about balance — of tastes and flavors, textures and temperatures. In every meal, even on every plate, you’ll find both sweet and sour, soft and crunchy, cooked and raw, hot and cold.

No Persian meal is complete without an abundance of herbs. Every table is set with sabzi-khordan, a basket of fresh herbs, radishes, and scallions, which are eaten raw and by the handful, often tucked into a piece of fresh flatbread with a bite of feta, cucumber, or walnuts.

Experts believe that food tourism has become one of the most dynamic and creative segments of tourism and, at the same time, has naturally positioned itself as an element of diversification of tourism with a high impact on the promotion of sustainable development at the regional and local levels.

In 2020, Iran joined an online campaign launched by the UNWTO to promote gastronomy as an essential part of tourism. Iranian cuisine, usually dominated by fragrant herbs, varies from region to region. It principally accentuates freshness, deliciousness, and colorfulness.

ABU/AM