Breads

Iranian cuisine often features different types of bread, including sangak, lavash, taftun, and barbari breads.

Sangak is a thin, flat bread usually found in an oval shape, and is one of the most common breads found in Iranian cooking (Noll). This bread is said to have been invented by Shaykh Bahai, an Iranian scholar and architect. Sangak is unique because it is baked over hot stones in an oven through an intensive process involving at least two people. First, the dough is flattened and then placed into the oven by the first baker. After several minutes, a second baker uses a skewer to take the sangak out of the oven. Sangak can be served plain or with seeds such as sesame (Karizaki).

Iranian baker holding fresh sangak bread

Lavash is found throughout the Middle East and is soft and thin (Noll). This bread originated in Iran and is found commonly across the country. There are many varieties of lavash, including those that are soft and those that are extremely brittle. Furthermore, lavash can greatly differ in shape, ranging "in size from about 30cm in length to over 0.5m, and in shape from circular to oblong or square" (Karizaki).

The name of taftun bread comes from the word "tafan," which means "heating" (Karizaki). Taftun bread has been made in Iran for hundreds of years, although the baking methods have changed. Taftun used to be made in a tandoor (clay oven), but now taftun is commonly baked in a rotary oven or machine. Taftun can be made in two varieties: with salt or plain (Karizaki).

Barbari is another elliptical bread, but thicker than sangak (Noll). The bread got its name from an ethnic group called the Barbars who lived in northeastern Iran. During the Qajar era, the Barbars brought this bread to Tehran. This bread is prepared by spreading the dough on a flat table, sometimes dusting it with sesame seeds. Then, the bread is placed into the oven to bake (Karizaki). 

Aside from the four main breads, there are also many other varieties. Nan-jow is a bread based on barley and is generally more expensive than regular wheat bread because it is less common. Nan-sabzijat is another type of bread, created with parsley, dill, tarragon, and vegetables. Another bread, Nan-sandvichi, is similar in texture and appearance to baguettes. Nan-sibzamini and shirmal are both breads that can be used as meals by themselves, although shirmal is often served with butter or milk as a meal. Lastly, shah-abbasi is a soft and pastry-like bread (Karizaki).

A) Nan-jow  B) Nan-sabzijat  C) Nan-sandvichi  D) Nan-sibzamini  E) Shah-abbasi   F) Shirmal