How Iranians Relaxed Through The Centuries With Food, Drink, and Drugs

Iran, a country rich in history and culture, has a long tradition of offering diverse ways for its people to relax and unwind. Throughout the centuries, Iranians have found solace and pleasure in food, drink, and even certain drugs. This article takes a journey through time, exploring the various methods Iranians have used to find enjoyment and tranquility.

Food: A Culinary Delight

Iranian cuisine is renowned for its rich and flavorful dishes. Iranians take pride in their culinary heritage, which dates back thousands of years. From aromatic rice dishes such as biryani and polo to succulent kebabs and aromatic stews like gheimeh and fesenjan, Iranian cuisine offers a feast for the senses.

Moreover, Iranians have always believed in the power of food to bring people together. Gathering around a table filled with delectable dishes is a common sight in Iran, whether it's for a family gathering or a festive celebration. The shared experience of savoring delicious food creates a sense of community and relaxation.

Persian Pleasures: How Iranians Relaxed Through the Centuries with Food, Drink and Drugs

by Angela Esco Elder([Print Replica] Kindle Edition)

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Language	:	English
File size	:	84115 KB
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Drink: From Persian Tea to Refreshing Sharbat

One cannot talk about relaxation in Iran without mentioning their love for tea. Persian tea, usually served in small tulip-shaped glasses, is an integral part of Iranian culture. It is enjoyed throughout the day, both as a morning pick-me-up and as a way to wind down in the evening.

Additionally, Iranian summers can be scorching, and a refreshing glass of sharbat - a traditional Iranian drink made from fruits, flowers, or herbs mixed with water and sweetened with sugar - offers relief from the heat. Popular types of sharbat include sekanjabin, made from vinegar and honey, and rosewater sharbat, known for its cooling properties.

Drugs: Historical Perspectives

While the use of drugs for relaxation is not unique to Iran, the country has a fascinating history with certain substances. Throughout the centuries, Iranians have explored the effects of opium, marijuana, and other drugs for both recreational and medicinal purposes.

During the Qajar era (1785-1925),opium was widely used in Iran. It was often consumed in the form of a tincture or smoked in hookahs. Opium houses became popular social spaces where people gathered to relax and enjoy the sedative effects of this substance.

Similarly, marijuana, known as "bang" in Persian, has been used for centuries in Iran. It was traditionally consumed in the form of edibles or smoked in water pipes. Some Iranians believe that marijuana, when used in moderation, can enhance creative thinking and promote a relaxed state of mind.

Balance and Moderation

Throughout history, Iranians have understood the importance of balance and moderation when it comes to relaxation. The indulgence in food, drink, and even drugs has always been done mindfully, with an appreciation for the cultural and social aspects associated with these activities.

It is worth noting that drug use, like opium or marijuana, should not be seen as an endorsement. However, understanding their historical significance helps shed light on the different ways Iranians have sought relaxation throughout the centuries.

, Iranians have embraced a variety of methods to relax and unwind throughout their rich history. Food, drink, and even drugs have been used as a means to find solace, pleasure, and connection. With a deeply ingrained culture of hospitality and an appreciation for the simple joys of life, Iranians continue to enjoy the art of relaxation to this day.

Persian Pleasures: How Iranians Relaxed Through the Centuries with Food, Drink and Drugs

by Angela Esco Elder([Print Replica] Kindle Edition)

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	84115 KB
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Print length	:	676 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

Pleasure/keyf in the form of food, drink or drugs, is the subject of this book, which looks at how their consumption has played a key role in social interaction in Iran for the past 2,500 years and how this has evolved over time, shaped by changes in Iranian society and Persian culture as a whole.

Food has always been about more than just fuel: a meal is a feast for the senses, as well as an occasion to relax and be sociable, aspects that the many foreign travelers to Iran have commented upon over the centuries. One of the opening chapters allows us to see Iranian food and customs through foreign eyes in a fascinating overview of the subject. A further insight into Iranian food from the past is offered by the work of the fifteenth-century Persian poet Boshaq, nicknamed At‘ameh/the Gourmet. Long before cooking became a television phenomenon in America, he decided that food made a good subject for poetry and his poems reveal what would have been on the menu for the well-to-do Iranians of his day.

Drinking together was even more of a social event in Iran than sharing food, in particular when enjoyed with regular companions and in the comfortable surroundings of a familiar social venue. The next two chapters look at the rise of the coffeehouse in the seventeenth century, important as a meeting place for various social, artisanal or political groups, to discuss ideas, swap news, or play chess and other games. We then see how, by the nineteenth century, Iran had transitioned from a country of coffee drinkers to a nation of tea drinkers and learn how coffeehouses turned into teahouses without even changing their name.

In the seventeenth century, tobacco from the New World was introduced to Iran and quickly became a passion, not to mention another pastime that could be enjoyed in the relaxing environment of the coffeehouse. Chapter seven takes an intriguing look at tobacco cultivation and Iranian smoking customs and paraphernalia through the ages, from the traditional water pipe to the modern cigarette, while an extensive later chapter provides wide-ranging analysis of the use of psychoactive drugs in Iran from the earliest times to the present in the most detailed study of the subject available to date.

Iranians were also once a nation of wine drinkers, and a substantial section of the book is devoted to tracing the history of wine production and consumption in Iran from its peak in imperial times to its gradual decline as Iranian society became more Islamic. Although alcohol and certain drugs have been considered unlawful in Islamic Iran at different periods, they have been tolerated to some extent because of the enjoyment and sociability they offer and because physical intoxication was/has been regarded by the Sufis as akin to the spiritual rapture experienced when in communication with the divine. The Islamic ban has even been seen as non-Qur’anic by some.

As a means of banishing melancholy arising from a sense of alienation felt by Iranians through the ages, sociability has always been very important, today more than ever, enhanced by the pursuit of keyf in all the forms presented here. Carefully researched and full of fascinating detail, Persian Pleasures takes a fresh look at a complex topic, with findings that, despite the apparent familiarity of their subject matter, may surprise the reader and give abundant food for thought.