Anyone tasting ghormeh sabzi or a plate of zereshk polo for the first time often expects heat – and discovers fragrance instead. Persian spices are about warmth, sourness and floral notes rather than chilli. Cinnamon and cardamom, dried rose petals, tangy sumac and black limes give Iranian cuisine its unmistakable character. In this article we introduce the most important spices, explain what lies behind the blend called advieh and show which dishes you will find them in.
Persian spices: fragrance instead of heat#
Iranian cuisine is a cuisine of balance. Sweet and sour, warm and fresh should be in harmony. Behind this lies an old idea from traditional Persian medicine: foods are considered "warm" (garm) or "cold" (sard), and a good dish balances the two. Walnuts and pomegranate in fesenjan, yoghurt with rice, fresh herbs with meat – many combinations follow this principle.
Persian spices are therefore used sparingly and with a light hand. They should not dominate a dish but give it depth. Food gets spicier mainly in the south, along the Persian Gulf, where cooking has been shaped by centuries of sea trade with India and Arabia.
Advieh: the Persian spice blend#
The Persian word advieh simply means "spice" and comes from the Arabic plural for "remedy". It usually refers to a spice mix that every family puts together a little differently. Typical ingredients are cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, cloves, ginger and ground rose petals; depending on the region, coriander, nutmeg, black pepper or saffron are added. The Wikipedia article on advieh gives a good overview of the variations.
Advieh-e polo and advieh-e khoresh#
There are two basic forms. Advieh-e polo is meant for rice, smells especially floral of rose and cinnamon and is often sprinkled over the finished rice. Advieh-e khoresh seasons stews (khoresh) or meat and is usually earthier, with more cumin and coriander. There are also special blends for thick soups (ash) and for pickled vegetables (torshi).
Turmeric, cinnamon and cardamom: the warm base notes#
Hardly a Persian stew begins without turmeric. Onions are fried slowly until golden, then a pinch of the yellow root goes in – this base carries dishes such as gheimeh or ghormeh sabzi. Cinnamon (darchin) appears in savoury dishes as well as in sweets, and for many Iranians cardamom simply belongs in tea.
Then there is the country's most famous spice: saffron. Iran is by far the world's largest saffron producer, and golden rice, kebab marinades and many desserts would be unthinkable without its red threads.
Sour Persian spices: dried limes, sumac and barberries#
Sourness is the real secret of Persian cooking. Instead of vinegar or wine, fruits and spices bring the fresh, tangy note to the table.
Dried limes (limoo amani)#
Dried limes look unremarkable: small, hard, brown to black balls. The fruits are dried in the sun until they are hollow and light. Their name limoo amani points to Oman, through whose ports they were traded. You pierce them and let them simmer in the stew, where they release a sour, bitter, almost smoky flavour. In ghormeh sabzi, dried limes are essential.
Sumac: the red powder on the kebab#
Sumac (somagh) is ground from the dried fruits of the sumac shrub and tastes fruity and sour, a little like lemon. In Iran it stands on the table in many kebab houses and is sprinkled over rice and grilled meat – try it with kabab koobideh.
Barberries (zereshk)#
Barberries are small, bright red berries with a strong tartness. Iran is the world's largest producer; they are grown mainly in South Khorasan province around Birjand and Qaen. Before serving, they are tossed briefly in a pan with butter and a little sugar. They are best known in zereshk polo, saffron rice with barberries and chicken.
Roses, mint and golpar: special aromas#
Some Persian spices are hard to find outside Iran. Dried rose petals are sprinkled over yoghurt with cucumber, and rosewater – the one from the Kashan area is especially famous – perfumes sweets such as the saffron rice pudding sholeh zard. Dried mint is briefly sizzled in hot oil and drizzled as a fragrant topping over soups and aubergine dips.
A true insider spice is golpar, the ground seeds of Persian hogweed. Golpar tastes aromatic and slightly bitter and is sprinkled over pomegranate seeds, cooked broad beans or potatoes. In shops it is often wrongly sold as "angelica seed".
How closely spices are linked to celebrations is shown by the Persian wedding: nigella seeds and frankincense lie on the wedding spread, and festive shirin polo shines with barberries, pistachios and orange peel.
Buying and storing Persian spices#
If you want to use Persian spices at home, you will find them in Iranian and Middle Eastern grocery shops. A few tips for shopping and cooking:
- Whole rather than ground: buy cardamom, cumin and limes whole if possible and grind or crush them just before cooking.
- Store dark and airtight: light and air quickly rob spices of their aroma – especially rose petals and saffron.
- Soak barberries briefly: they are often a little sandy and should be rinsed before frying.
- Start sparingly: add more advieh and turmeric later if needed – Persian dishes live from balance.
Conclusion: enjoy Persian spices at SANTOOR#
Persian spices tell of gardens, bazaars and trade routes: of roses from Kashan, barberries from South Khorasan and limes that once came via Oman. Once you know them, you taste Iranian cuisine with different senses – as a delicate interplay of warmth, sourness and fragrance.
The easiest way to get to know this interplay is at the table. SANTOOR at Florianigasse 20, 1080 Vienna, is a Persian restaurant with a 100% halal kitchen, open daily from 12:00 to 22:00. Book your table here. Nooshe jan – enjoy your meal!