Eating in Iran

Breakfast food

What I can say. The food in Iran is just for me. Even the thought of the food makes me drool.

First of all, whoever runs a hotel or similar service which provides breakfast in Iran have it the easiest compared to those from malaysia for instance. The breakfast we had everyday was most importantly bread. The nan bread not the gardenia kind of bread. Also honey, cheese, butter and jam. Usually carrot jam or sour cherry jam. We would be served telur mata lembu with runny yolks.

No assortment of nasi lemak, mee goreng, waffle, pancake, creal, roti canai and so forth.

Jackjack was just in love with the eggs. To the extent when we actually go to a hotel that did not serve eggs, we would actually order some. And Subhanalllah the food helped us to not be hungry for quite sometime which was quite strange because we were in cold weather. Alhamdulillah.

Since we were served typically the same thing everyday, we expected the same thing again and again. Then when we got to Kandoven, the most Northern place that we went, we were served about the same thing but with a twist. Cewah! The honey they serve was straight from the honeycomb and the butter is just something that one would die for. Especially creamy and delicious. Both are the speciality of this town!

And the other food was superb! The kabab is out of the world. The yoghurt here, which is normally too sour for me in the arab side, is just nice, mildly sour, the tomato soup is perfect, the baklave which is melenting sweet in the arab side is just just perfect. What can I say? If you do go there, eat all you can. tee he he

Alhamdulillah for every daily thing that we do, there is always something we can point out to each other and as for myself to my kids. Perhaps there are some food that we might not favour. Knowing the sunnah will help us know how to react.

For example, the picture is perhaps the best roast chicken I ever had. The salad that comes with it (not in picture pun sangat superb. They use the oil dripping as the dressing). But the cauliflower (in the picture) was actually pickle. And I am not in favour on anything sour, what more pickle.

As good manners, we should not spill the food back onto our plate especially when the host is there. ell we were in restaurant but our Iranian driver was there. If there is still a need to take the food out, we must try to do it discreetly. Spilling food out in front of everyone is quite gross.

And most importantly not to criticise the food that you do not like.

Narrated by Abu Huraira:

The Prophet never criticized any food (presented him), but he would eat it if he liked it; otherwise, he would leave it (without expressing his dislike).

Bukhari : Volume 4 : Book 56 : Hadith 764

I was with an elderly lady who went with us from Esfahan. I was on my way to tehran while she wanted to stop halfway at Qom. We had lunch together. She doesn't speak english at all. We smiled a lot.

Anyway we were given this bowl of yoghurt each to dip into with our bread. They would also just eat the yoghurt by the spoonful. The yoghurt is ok not like the sour laban I had here. But I still cannot make myself eat plain yoghurt like I would with the commercial packed yoghurt that comes in variety of flavour. The lady asked me (I think) why I did not finish my yoghurt. I hope she understood that it is not the favourite of mine.

Anway I remebered a story when rasulullah sallallhu alaihi wasalam was presented with dhob (desert lizard). He left the food not eating it.

Book 21, Number 4791:

‘Abdullah b. ‘Abbas reported that Khalid b. Walid who is called the Sword of Allah had informed him that he visited Maimuna, the wife of Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him), in the company of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him), and she was the sister of his mother (that of Khalid) and that of ‘Ibn Abbas, and he found with her a roasted lizard which her sister Hufaida the daughter of al-Harith had brought from Najd, and she presented that lizard to Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him). It was rare that some food was presented to the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) and it was not mentioned or named. While Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) was about to stretch forth his hand towards the lizard, a woman from amongst the women present there informed the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) what they had presented to him. They said: Messenger of Allah, it is a lizard. Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) withdrew his hand, whereupon Khalid b. Walid said: Messenger of Allah, is a lizard forbidden? There opon he said: No, but it is not found in the land of my people, and I feel that I have no liking for it. Khalid said: I then chewed and ate it, and Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) was looking at me and he did not forbid (me to eat it).

Anyway just for extra knowledge, he did not prohibit eating the lizard either.

I, myself, find it hurtful, when people from other country, even though they are not used to our food, criticises it. Understandably some food do not suit a foreign's tongue, but criticising them is another matter altogether.

Anyway, when we try to follow the sunnah, Insya Allah there is ajr for that. What more, there is always good manners that we can exhibit to other people. Who are we to preach about Islam? Thus good manners from us supercedes everything, Insya Allah.

Everyday there is always something to point out on how we can apply the sunnah.