Foodie ways to see Iran

Dizi and Shish-Lik in Mashad

This rustic lamb, chickpea and potato stew is slow-cooked in a clay pot over a fire for several hours until the meat is so tender you can mash it into a paste with your fork. It is said to have originated in the city of Mashad, home to the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam and one of the holiest pilgrimage sites of Shia Islam. Small cafés and restaurants all over town cook dizi for lunch and dinner and serve it warm flatbreads that you shred into small pieces at the table and place in your clay pot to soak up the meaty broth and for Shish you can go to shandiz or Moin darbari in mashad.