Twelve chefs from different provinces began cooking at 8:00 a.m. and, after presenting their dishes to the jury, three winners were announced.
Zahra Rostami from Kermanshah Province, Arnika Moradi from Alborz Province, and Shiva Mohammadpour secured first to third places, respectively. The caretaker of the Cuisine Tourism Desk at Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts emphasized the importance of cuisine tourism as part of the National Tourism Week programs. “Over the past few months, a summit was held across 31 provinces of Iran, with 55 participants in total,” he noted.
According to Zahra Larijani, out of those 55 participants, 12 advanced to the cooking contest, and 3 were selected as winners. She highlighted the event’s role in reviving Iranian traditional foods and reintegrating them into everyday cooking. “The event is also beneficial in generating income for rural communities,” she added.
During the ceremony, the poster for the second Food Tourism Festival—focused on Iran’s ancient foods and scheduled for next year—was also unveiled.
Iranian cuisine is among the most diverse and flavorful in the world. Its main ingredients include rice, lamb or beef, a wide variety of vegetables, and whole grains.
Some dishes, such as kebab, are internationally well known. However, each region and city of Iran has its own unique local specialties that are just as delicious, though less recognized abroad.
Unlike Western fast foods, Iranian dishes generally require more time and effort to prepare. The speed and convenience of fast foods, however, have led many Iranians—especially those living in big cities with busy work schedules—to favor them. This shift, as in many other parts of the world, has contributed to rising obesity rates and cardiovascular diseases.
