TEHRAN – Bojnurd has held a culinary festival dedicated to Ash, a thick Persian vegetable soup cooked in a wide variety of styles.

The festival was held on Friday in a bid to promote beard-winner women, family-oriented tourism, and employment, a local tourism official 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.

The cuisine of the ancient country delicately combines characteristics and peculiarities of Near and West Asia, India and East Asia. Similarly, the Persians have influenced many cuisines as part of their once policy of expansion.

AFM