The medieval Persian meal is laid out on the sofre, a cloth spread on the floor or a carpet. First comes nan (flatbread), the foundation of the meal, followed by accompaniments: an âsh (thick soup), torshi (pickled condiments), and mâst (yogurt). On ordinary days, the meal remains frugal. On feast days, a polow (enriched rice) and lamb kabâb are added. Sharbat (sweet aromatic drink) accompanies or ends the meal. Sweets like halvâ appear during celebrations or as offerings to visitors. The structure is not sequential like in France: everything is set out together and each person helps themselves freely.

The rose water-saffron duo is the aromatic signature of classic Persian cuisine. Saffron, harvested in Khorasan and Qaen, colors and perfumes festive dishes with a deep gold. Rose water, distilled from the roses of Shiraz and Kashan, softens sweets and drinks. In Nizami's time, these two ingredients were at once culinary, medicinal, and poetic — saffron symbolized joy and suffering, the rose love and the ephemeral.