Beryan, Iranian Food
Photo by www.beryaniazam.com

While travelling to Iran and especially Isfahan, it is highly suggested to taste its famous dish i.e. Beryan, almost all the tourists who visit Isfahan will taste this unique and nourishing food.

Although most of the Iranian call it “Beryani”, its correct name is Beryan and only the noble people of the Isfahan know it, the word “Beryani” is in fact the place wherein Beryan is cooked and sold. The Beryani store is a separate place which exclusively sells Beryan. The importance of Beryan among Isfahani people can be seen in the facts that it is a dish which is only cooked in Isfahan and in a separate place and usually it is not cooked along with other foods.

Beryan, Iranian Food
Photo by www.beryaniazam.com

Beryan is mixture of lamb meat, white liver, kidney, onion and seasonings, the obtained paste is put in a non-stick container and then in the oven. While preparing it to be served, its own appetizer i.e. Beryan broth is added to it along with cinnamon and black pepper. Also, some curd and chopped bread are added to the broth of cooked meat and is served. As Beryan is a fatty and heavy food which needs long time to be digested, it is mostly served in lunch.

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Jigaraki, Iranian Food
Photo by C. Na Songkhla / Shutterstock

The liver of mammals through which the bile is produced in Iranian culture is called “Jigar”. The liver and lung of cattle are called black Jigar and white Jigar respectively, both of them have edible usages. Jigaraki is one of the occupations related to traditional cooking style of the Iranian.

Based on the available photos remained from Qajar era as well as some historical sources, it can be said that the people who were occupied with this profession were initially itinerant and they were seen in crowded places of the city like bazaars, they put a barbecue in front of themselves and grilled the liver which was skewered and shouted loudly in the bazaar to sell their goods.

After a while, the itinerant sellers made small stands in front of the butcher’s or bakeries. They prepared some platforms and benches around their stands which were covered with rug or carpet to entertain their clients properly.

The shops of Jigaraki were built around the slaughterhouses due to the enthusiasm of people to serve fresh liver. The sellers put some fat on the fire to temp people by smelling it and hence they came to Jigaraki shops to server such delicious dish. Gradually, grilled heart and kidney of sheep were served along with liver.

The collection of one white liver, one black liver, one heart and two kidneys is called a set of liver (Jigar). In the past, the unit of liver was “set” but currently it is sold on kilogram basis. In addition to the liver of sheep, today the liver and heart of calf are sold in the shops of Jigaraki as well.

Jigar is mostly used as evening meal or dinner among the Iranian. In the past it was sold only along with some bread but nowadays it is severed with herb, pepper, lime, bitter orange and tomato.

Bahman Square in south of Tehran and Nazi Abad neighborhood are two main centers of selling Jigar. There are numerous Jigaraki shops in this square and it is a place for spending free time at nights for those people who are fans of this dish.

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