Tehran – Mostafa Fatemi, director of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s Domestic Tourism Development Bureau, said based on archaeological excavations, four traditional dishes from ancient Iran have been recreated in the burning city of Sistan-Baluchestan province and more than 10 historic dishes from the “Sheikh of Food.”
He told the IRNA: “Based on the work of a combination between tourism and archaeology, we have used the contents of several historical books to recreate some examples of ancient and historical dishes such as “wheat pilaf” cooked using coriander and meat.
Several festivals of ancient cuisine are being held at Shiraz and Zahedan to showcase and recreate food history, he said.
“Like others in the world, Iranians have turned their eyes to European-style fast food and fast cooking meals for their lifestyle, but in our country we can offer many foods in restaurants. We need to introduce Iranian food as tourist attractions. We are actively involved in the global food competition.
He said, “We are looking for city and state restaurateurs to provide local food to people. In this regard, many restaurateurs in the states of Gillan and Kermansha are leading the way, and many other states are following this path.
Fatemi said the cities of Gilan and Kermansha have been featured as creative food cities by UNESCO. “This year is the year of food tourism in Iran, as it has been added to Iranian tourist facilities along with its food business, including meral restaurants and boutique restaurants serving Iranian cuisine, so we will soon see a number of food tourism facilities that will be run in cooperation with this field.
He added: Raftari is a pioneer in the food sector and owns the oldest Chelo Kebab restaurant in Iran, with a history of 116 years. His brand is enduring and established, but fades throughout history. He can use these foods together with his brand and reintroduce the brand by connecting with people who have recreated the private sector and ancient and historical foods.
Fatemi said, “In ancient Iranian culture there was immediate food prepared immediately. It can be easily replaced with fast food. The group is working on this issue in detail.”
KD