The National Dish

Chelow kabab is Iran’s national dish, the equivalent of a burger and fries in the United States. It is served everywhere, from palaces to roadside stalls, but the best chelow kababs are probably those sold in the bazaars, where the rice is served with a tin cloche covering the plate to keep it warm, and the kababs are brought to the table by the waiter, holding between 5 and 10 skewers in his left hand and a piece of bread in his right. He places a skewer of meat directly on the rice and, holding it down with the bread, pulls out the skewer with a flourish, leaving the sizzling meat behind.