Reading: In the following article, entitled “Cooking in the history of Iran” (آشپــــزی در تاریخ ایران), you will find a short sketch of the history of the Iranian cuisine and also the main cooking habits and dishes of the Iranians. After reading and discussing its contents with their teacher, the students will master the basic terms related to the Iranian cuisine and food culture. They will also acquire all the necessary skills for communicating with the native speakers on the topic in question.
Listening: Video 1: In this short video from BBC Persian, Houchang Chehabi, a professor from Boston University discusses the cultural and historical aspects of Iranian cuisine.
Video 2: A detailed tutorial on how to make authentic Iranian ghormeh sabzi by Maryam Amiri, an Iranian cook and food blogger.
Additional materials: If students are eager to explore how typical Iranian dinner parties and casual get-togethers look today, here are links to a couple of authentic bloggers who share their daily lives, including meal preparations when hosting guests: the blog of maman esmat and the blog of Narges Ghasemi.
Subject of Conversation: Modern food culture vs Traditional cuisine (غذاهای مدرن در برابر غذاهای سنتی).
Each student will be required to present his/her views on the topic of Modern and Traditional cuisines, paying attention to the various aspects of taste, health, tradition and culture. The discussion of the social aspect of the topic in question will also be welcomed. The teacher will also take part in the discussion, presenting to the students the modern food culture in the streets of the modern Iranian cities.
Homework:
- Please carefully read today’s text and study the vocabulary.
- Watch the second video for today (ghormeh sabzi recipe by Maryam Amiri), then choose a dish from Iranian cuisine and write step-by-step instructions on how to prepare it.