Why is all Iranian bread flat?

In this episode, we are joined by an Iranian chef, Shahriar of Shahriar’s Kitchen. Shahriar has worked as a chef around the world, and although he has a wealth of experience with Iranian and international cuisine, for his first appearance on Ask An Iranian we asked him to help get you familiar with one of Iran’s staples: flatbreads.

We get answers to these questions, and more:
• What is Iran’s national bread?
• What is the Iranian ‘sangak‘ and bread and how it is made?
• What is the Iranian ‘barbari‘ bread and how is it made?
• What type of oven is used to bake Iranian bread?
• Can you chip a tooth or burn your tongue when eating fresh ‘sangak’?
• How many seconds do you have to eat lavash before it’s inedible?
• Which queue you should stand in when at an Iranian bakery
• Do Iranians dip ‘barbari’ bread in their tea?
• Is it true that truck drivers put bread in their cola?
• What makes flatbread flat?

This question is not so easily answered, and we maybe don’t address it so directly in the show, so allow us to do so here. Flatbreads are unleavened, for the most part, and in most cases, don’t use a rising agent such as yeast. Flatbreads range from below one millimetre to a few centimetres thick so that they can be easily eaten without being sliced. They can be baked in an oven, fried in hot oil, grilled over hot coals or cooked on a hot pan.