Persian Food Glossary: Common Ingredients & Terms Explained
Persian cuisine has its own vocabulary — words with no direct English equivalent for ingredients, preparations, and flavors that go back centuries. This glossary explains the most common terms you’ll see on Persian grocery shelves (and at Goaldees, also searched as Goldis), so you know exactly what you’re buying.
Ingredients & Preparations
Aragh (Araq) — Persian Herbal/Flower Water
عرق — A fragrant water distilled from herbs or flowers — mint, rose, cumin, and dozens of others — traditionally sipped for digestion or used to flavor drinks and desserts. Not alcoholic, despite the similar-sounding name. Browse herbal waters (aragh).
Golab — Rose Water
گلاب — Water distilled from rose petals, used to flavor tea, desserts, and rice dishes, and splashed on guests as a welcoming gesture at celebrations. Shop golab (rose water).
Kashk — Dried Fermented Whey
کشک — A tangy, salty dairy product made from strained, dried yogurt whey, used as a topping or ingredient in dishes like kashk-o-bademjan (eggplant with kashk) and ash-e-reshteh (noodle soup). Sold dried or as a ready liquid. Browse kashk.
Lavashak — Persian Fruit Leather
لواشک — A thin, tangy-sweet sheet of dried fruit puree — usually sour plum, pomegranate, or cherry — rolled or flattened and eaten as a snack. Often compared to fruit roll-ups, but tarter and less processed, made from real fruit puree with no added sugar in most varieties. Browse lavashak.
Nabaat — Saffron Rock Candy
نبات — Large crystals of rock candy, often infused with saffron, traditionally used to sweeten Persian tea one crystal at a time rather than stirred in as sugar. Shop saffron nabaat.
Noghl — Sugar-Coated Almonds
نقل — Whole almonds (sometimes walnuts) coated in a hard, often rose-flavored sugar shell — a traditional celebration candy served at weddings and holidays. Shop noghl.
Rob — Fruit Paste / Molasses
رب — A thick, concentrated paste made by slowly cooking down fruit — pomegranate, sour cherry, tamarind — into an intensely flavored base used in stews, dressings, and drinks. Browse rob (fruit pastes).
Samanoo — Sweet Wheat Germ Paste
سمنو — A smooth, caramel-colored paste made by slow-cooking sprouted wheat, symbolizing prosperity and rebirth on the Nowruz (Persian New Year) Haft-Sin table. Shop samanoo.
Sekanjebin — Sweet-Sour Mint Syrup
سکنجبین — A syrup made from vinegar, sugar, and mint, diluted with water (often with cucumber) into a refreshing sweet-and-sour drink — one of the oldest known Persian beverages. Browse syrups.
Senjed — Dried Oleaster (Silverberry)
سنجد — A small, mealy-textured dried fruit with a flavor somewhere between a date and a dried apple, eaten as a snack and used as one of the seven symbolic Haft-Sin items at Nowruz, representing love. Shop senjed.
Torshi — Persian Pickles
ترشی — A broad category of pickled vegetables, herbs, and even fruit, fermented or brined for months to develop a deep, sour-savory flavor — served alongside nearly every Persian meal. Browse torshi (pickles).
Zaferan — Saffron
زعفران — The Farsi word for saffron, the dried stigma of the Crocus sativus flower. The highest grade, sargol (“all-red”), contains only the red stigma tips with no yellow style attached. See the full saffron buying guide or shop saffron.
Dishes & Cooking Terms
Sabzi — Fresh/Dried Herbs
سبزی — A general word for herbs, used both for fresh bunched herbs and for the dried herb blends used in specific dishes (ghormeh sabzi herb blend, kuku herb blend, and so on). Browse herb blends.
Ghormeh Sabzi — Herb Stew
قورمه سبزی — Often called the national dish of Iran: a rich stew of sautéed herbs, dried lime, and kidney beans simmered with meat. See the full ghormeh sabzi recipe.
Kuku (Kookoo) — Herb Frittata
کوکو — A thick, baked or pan-fried frittata packed with herbs (kuku sabzi) or vegetables, served as a main dish or side, hot or cold. Shop the kuku herb blend.
Reshteh — Persian Noodles
رشته — Thin wheat noodles used in dishes like reshteh polo (noodle rice, eaten at Nowruz for good fortune) and ash reshteh (a noodle-and-herb soup). Shop reshteh noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between lavashak and fruit roll-ups?
Lavashak is made from real fruit puree with little to no added sugar and has a distinctly sour, tangy flavor, unlike the sweeter, often artificially flavored American fruit roll-up.
What does “sargol” mean for saffron?
Sargol, or “all-red” saffron, is the highest grade — pure red stigma tips with no pale yellow style attached, giving the most intense color, aroma, and flavor.
Is aragh (Persian herbal water) alcoholic?
No. Despite the similar-sounding name, aragh (herbal/flower water) is a non-alcoholic distilled water used for flavoring drinks, desserts, and traditional remedies.
Where can I buy authentic Persian ingredients online?
Goaldees (also searched as Goldis) ships authentic Persian ingredients — including saffron, kashk, torshi, lavashak, and more — fresh, nationwide across the US.
Explore the Full Persian Pantry
Now that you know the terms, browse the full catalog by category: Spices, Lavashaks, Pickles, Kashks, and more — all shipped fresh, nationwide across the US.
