An integral part of the culture and traditions of any nation is its national food. The very first thing for a tourist is to see the most popular sights of an unknown country and, of course, try all the tasty dishes of the national cuisine. As we are talking about the national cuisine of Iran, it is worth to note that you will find amazing oriental dishes. Your acquaintance with local cuisine will begin with street food in Tehran, and we will help you to find all the best on the streets of the capital.

If you love fast food, in Tehran, first you will definitely miss the ordinary burgers: you will hardly see attractive adds on the streets because they simply don’t exist in Iran. However, in a day you will feel the spirit of the local street food. Instead of large McDonald’s and KFC you will find small snack bars in Tehran and lucky you if you find a free table there.

The most popular type of fast food is kebab and shawarma. In Iran shawarma is chopped and prepared on a sheet of metal, sometimes it is mixed with vegetables. Unlike “classy shawarma”, Iranian shawarma is not wrapped in a pita or bagel. Shawarma is served on a plate with pickled cucumbers, and the bagels are served separately. The kebab is served with baked tomatoes, a slice of lemon and pickled cucumbers. You will have to wait for your order, as in local fast food the food is prepared after the order, but it is fresh and tasty. Portions of Shawarma and Kebab are quite large for one person.

In addition to small cafes and bistro on the streets of Tehran, you will see counters with rolls, bread, and delicious pies. National sweets can also be found on the shelves. Everything is very tasty and not expensive.

On the streets, you can find small stalls with fried corn, which is served in glasses with mushrooms. On the shelves, you can also find nuts and fruits, milk and fruit cocktails. On hot days, this cocktail refreshes and energizes.

Coffee houses in Tehran are also rare. If you are lucky enough to find a coffee shop, instead of your favorite cappuccino or latte you will be offered casual Nescafe. In Iran, they drink tea, every day, all day. The tea house is not just a place where you can drink tea, but the way of life of the Iranians. The tea-house appeared in the Safavid era, but at that time the Persians were drinking coffee. After the tea was brought to Persia and Persians began to grow tea, coffee was replaced by tea. Iranians drink tea with sugar. Sometimes sugar is replaced with sugar candies, which are dipped in tea and bite.

Each city bazaar has its own chaykhana, where you can relax after a long walk. Tea houses in Tehran can be found in the central bazaar and in central districts.