Shiraz is popular as a city of poetry and literature, with the tombs of Hafez and Saadi Shirazi proving it, though did you know that Shiraz also has very delicious traditional food to offer, which cannot be neglected? Without a doubt, eating the traditional dishes of Shiraz will be definitely one of the most attractive and memorable parts of your trip to this city. In case you want to try a new dining experience, you should absolutely try the traditional dishes of Shiraz. In the following, we will introduce you to the 7 best foods in Shiraz and some restaurants that cook local dishes in this city.
Discovering the traditional dishes of Shiraz
The renowned city of Shiraz is considered one of the most important and popular tourist destinations in Iran, drawing many tourists every year owing to its numerous sightseeing attractions. Shiraz landmarks and tourist attractions stand out as very famous, but its traditional dishes are nothing to ignore as well. A visit to one of the restaurants of this city and enjoying the delicious traditional dishes will definitely make you unforgettable memories. Stay tuned and get to know some of the best foods in Shiraz.
Why should you try the local dishes of Shiraz?
Shiraz, as in other parts of Iran, has many traditional dishes thanks to its ancient history, but one thing that makes it different from the traditional dishes of other Iranian cities is the taste and color of the food. Tourists who have tried the best foods in Shiraz once cannot forget its taste and color. In the following, we will introduce you to very tasty traditional dishes and things to eat in Shiraz.
Kalam Polo
One of the traditional dishes from Shiraz, which is very delicious and has many fans, is Shirazi Kalam Polo. Actually, when you think about the best food Shiraz, Kalam Polo is one of the first dishes that come to mind. The dish is made of stone cabbage, onions, rice, minced meat, chickpea flour, spices and aromatic vegetables such as leeks, basil, tarragon and dill.
In order to prepare cabbage pilaf, the stone cabbage must be chopped and fried with onions, then aromatic herbs and spices will be added. After draining the rice, the above ingredients will be mixed with the rice. Meanwhile, in another pan, minced meat mixed with chickpea flour and spices are fried with oil and a little lemon juice and added to the dish at the end.
The taste of Kalam Polo is quite pleasant and ranks among the high-quality and best foods in Shiraz. What is interesting is that this dish is prepared not only in Shiraz but also in many other cities of Iran, however, it is considered an authentic dish from Shiraz. Kalam Polo is normally served with yogurt and local vegetables.
Among the best restaurants in Shiraz where you can eat Shirazi Kalam Polo is Shapouri Mansion Restaurant. You just need to go to Shapouri Manor Restaurant once and taste some of the best foods in Shiraz in this restaurant, we guarantee you that you will become a frequent guest of this restaurant on your next trips. This mansion was built in the first Pahlavi period and it is one of the attractive touristic Shiraz attractions. The mansion entrance looks beautiful with an old and blue pond, welcoming guests and tourists with its beautiful architecture.
Ghanbar Polo
Generally, Iranians are good at making different kinds of rice and pilafs; but Shiraz people are experts in making all kinds of pilafs. Another delicious dish in the list of best foods in Shiraz is Ghanbar Polo, which has a funny name. Ghanbar Polo’s taste is as special as the name of this dish. Some people of Shiraz believe that the name of this dish was originally "gham bar polo"; meaning that this food is so delicious that it drives away the sorrow from your heart. When you want to forget all your problems and sorrows just eat Ghanbar Polo!
Ghanbar Polo is made of rice, minced meat, pomegranate and pomegranate paste, walnut kernels, raisins, onions and spices. Once we made the meatballs, we fry it and then mix it with pomegranate paste, fried onions, walnuts and raisins. Having drained the rice, we add this mixture between the rice and let it soak.
Having pomegranate and pomegranate paste makes the taste of Ghanbar Polo sour; but some people use dates and grape juice in the process of preparing this dish to give it a sweet and malty taste. Ghanbar Polo is delightful with yogurt and even more delicious with Shirazi salad.
Faloodeh Shirazi
Faloodeh Shirazi is considered one of the traditional Iranian desserts. Its wonderful taste can also be enjoyed with lemon juice, cherry syrup and other flavorings. It is perfect way to satisfy thirst and fill hot summer days, while it can also be served in other seasons of the year with its mild and pleasant coldness. For many, Shiraz is recognized as the creation center and inventor of this dessert, and several methods of preparation are credited to this city.
In fact, Faloodeh Shirazi is one of the most attractive traditional desserts among Iranians since it used to be prepared in a traditional way not requiring a refrigerator long ago, up until today when modern equipment for cooking it has been invented. There are listed qualities for all original and traditional sweets and desserts, mentioned in old books. Shirazi Faloodeh has been talked about a lot, and it is said to have various qualities, which is why we included it in our list of best foods in Shiraz.
From thirst quenching and strengthening the body's strength by increasing the energy contained in the starch consumed, to supplying blood sugar used by brain cells, and curing lung and throat diseases, as well as relieving diarrhea caused by heat stroke, and so many other cases, the qualities of Faloodeh are so wide and different. However, despite all these useful qualities, eating too much of this frozen dessert can create problems for people with fatty liver, and eating large amounts of it is not recommended.
For making Shirazi Faloodeh, it is required to first boil sugar and water on the stove, and once the appropriate concentration is reached, turn off the stove and add rose water. Once completely cooled, the mixture must be placed in the freezer, and after 2 hours, when icing is formed, it should be stirred with a fork and placed in the freezer again.
Repeat this process every hour until the liquid is just about to freeze. There are 2 options for the Faloodeh noodles. You can either prepare ready-made market noodles and use them, or make the necessary noodles by boiling starch and putting them through a sieve or meat grinder and then cool in a container with water and ice. With the first method, it is necessary to cook the prepared Shirazi Faloodeh noodles according to the instructions on the package and then add them to the frozen mixture after cooling. These days, there are several examples of these on the market.
When making homemade noodles, the raw starch is mixed with cold water until it turns milky, and then completely cooked on a gas stove to form a dough that when cooled is made into noodles. With both methods, the noodles should be placed in the freezer for an hour and are then ready to be served.
Although Shirazi Faloodeh is rarely seen as a souvenir from Shiraz because it’s a dessert, there are many places in this city where you can enjoy this delicious dessert with your family. Shiraz cafes are a good place for this purpose and offer different types of Faloodeh to their customers. As the only dessert in our list of best foods in Shiraz, you should definitely try Faloodeh when you visit Shiraz.
Shirazi Salad
You must have heard the name Shirazi salad before. It is a famous, delicious and colorful salad that is served with many dishes with simple and readily available ingredients. Shirazi salad comes as a simple and straightforward salad that is a good substitute for appetizers. As the name suggests, it is a healthy and refreshing salad whose history can be traced back to the city of Shiraz.
Because this salad contains cress and lemon juice, it is also very good for those who want to slim down. Needless to say, some people add mayonnaise to Shirazi salad in place of lemon juice. However, you should know that no sauce is used in the preparation of Shirazi salad. Besides, the ingredients used are simple and strong.
Shirazi salad is made with only 3 basic ingredients: Onion, cucumber and tomato. When you use colorful peppers, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, purple cabbage, etc. while preparing Shirazi salad, you are moving away from its original taste.
When preparing Shirazi salad, do not peel the cucumber. Shirazi salad cucumbers are generally prepared with the peel so that their green color is fully exposed and looks appetizing. Only peel the cucumber if it is yellow or blotchy. Both slices and bits of the ingredients for Shirazi salad have to be very small. In general, the Shirazis cut the raw materials into cubes that are less than half an inch in size. The smaller these slices are, the more consistent is the taste of the salad and the more beautiful is its appearance.
You cannot travel to Shiraz and not eat Shiraz salad. Without a doubt, in all restaurants of this city you will find Shiraz salad with all the best foods in Shiraz, especially pilaf dishes. Combining this salad with almost all famous dishes of Shiraz is a very delicious combo and we suggest that you do not miss the opportunity to eat it during your trip to Shiraz.
Aash-e Sabzi
Aash-e Sabzi is among the most famous and popular local dishes of Shiraz, which is also included in the list of best foods in Shiraz. This traditional Shirazi soup is commonly served for breakfast like Halim or prepared as an offering on special days like Ramadan, Tasua and Ashura.
Meat, rice, peas, lentils, white or red beans, onions and aromatic vegetables such as leeks, tarragon and dill make up the main ingredients of Aash-e Sabzi. They say that the key to the deliciousness and quality of this soup lies in its elasticity, and for this purpose they stir it for a long time and on a regular basis until it reaches the desired degree of simmering.
Nevertheless, according to many people, the sheep neck meat is the main and primary raw material for the Aash-e Sabzi, for which the taste and the elasticity of the soup are mainly because of this meat. However, you can make this delicious soup without meat and enjoy its taste and qualities.
Do Piazeh Aloo
Do Piazeh Aloo is one of the favorite and best foods in Shiraz, which can be easily and quickly prepared. This local dish's main ingredients are: boiled potatoes, onions, tomatoes or tomato paste and spices, however, some people add meat to Do Piazeh Aloo to make it even more tasty.
In Farsi, Aloo means Plum and for this reason, some might be wondering at what step in the process of cooking this dish should plums be added? We must say that this is not going to happen, because Aloo means potato in the Shirazi dialect, and this confuses many non-Shirazi people when they hear the name of this dish. Do Piazeh Aloo is very delicious and delicate at the same time, and are often eaten with bread for dinner. We strongly recommend you to try Do Piazeh Aloo on your next trip to Shiraz.
The Sufi restaurant is one of the best places to try some wonderful Do Piazeh Aloo. Offering a great culinary variety, especially the cuisine of Shiraz, this restaurant has maintained its brilliant history from the past to the present. The Sufi restaurant started operating in 1973 and opened its Qajar architecture style restaurant, serving its guest with some of the best foods in Shiraz.
Koofteh Sabzi Shirazi
Koofteh Sabzi Shirazi is prepared with lots of vegetables and that is why they end up green. Minced meat, onions, cooked peas, semi grain rice and vegetables (parsley, dill, savory, tarragon and some mint) are the main ingredients used in this traditional dish. Some people also replace the chickpeas with garbanzo beans.
The Koofteh Sabzi Shirazi may be stuffed with Bukhara plums, walnuts, raisins and fried onions; however, some recipes for this dish make the meatballs with vegetables, rice and chickpeas, and the inside of the meatballs gets stuffed with fried onions and fried meat.
What makes Koofteh Sabzi Shirazi different from other meatballs is the sauce type and the way it is cooked. What is in the vegetable sauce for the Koofteh Sabzi Shirazi is a lot of roasted vegetables and rice, making it a bit like a soup. Because of this, in the Shirazi dialect, this sauce is called "Ash Koofteh".
Conclusion
If you have never traveled to Shiraz, you absolutely need to visit this wonderful city and witness the beauty of Shiraz up close. Part of the pleasure of a trip to Shiraz is to taste the best foods in Shiraz, which is exactly suited to the mood of this city. You will remember the taste of Kalam Polo, Shirazi salad and Ashe Sabzi from Shiraz for the rest of your life, reminding you of the most delicious food. This article introduced you to some of the best foods in Shiraz, so you will know which dishes you should definitely try during your trip to Shiraz.
In case you have traveled to the city of Shiraz by plane, train, bus, or on a Shiraz tour, you can make things easier for yourself by renting a car in Shiraz to visit different restaurants. Without a doubt, with a car you can visit the good restaurants of Shiraz that we have presented in this article more easily than ever and enjoy the best foods in Shiraz.
Navaran company is at your disposal in some Shiraz hotels with a collection of modern cars as well as easy conditions for car rental in Iran. What distinguishes us from our competitors are the very simple conditions and the fact that you do not have to present a check or promissory bill for car rental Shiraz or in any other parts of the country.
