The Culture of Hospitality

The Persian culture of hospitality is very old and has touched everyone who has experienced it. The excerpts below, wonderfully translated by Reuben Levy, are by Amir Kaykavus, an eleventh-century Persian prince from Gorgan who wrote an entire book to guide his favorite son in avoiding the pitfalls of life. One section is about proper conduct when his son entertains guests or is a guest himself. In the pages that follow, I have listed my own suggestions and some menus for successfully entertaining in the Persian way in the twenty-first century.