Shared food and hospitality are central to Persian culture. While there’s some overlap with broader Middle Eastern food, Persian cuisine is rich and distinctive. The food of modern-day Iran was influenced by Silk Road travellers, the lands the vast Persian empire encompassed (including Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan), and a wealth of local produce such as saffron, barberries, pistachio and rose. Rice, grilled meat and seafood, salad, herbs, vegetables, fresh cheese, yoghurt and aromatic spices come together to create a deliciously unique cuisine. I was blessed to travel to Iran for the saffron harvest with my dear friend Parya and we can’t wait to share the cuisine of her homeland with you in this online Persian cooking class.