Persian dinner parties in Vancouver

Did you ever eat so much you couldn't walk anymore? Did you ever eat like that and then ate some more?

This happens all the time to me when I have a Persian dinner. I arrived in Vancouver with a slim figure from all the biking in Holland, but when I started enjoying the Persian cuisine in Vancouver, I had to be careful to not create an extra layer of skin...

The Persian dinners are amazing. Imagine a full table of dishes, most of them filled with the best Persian dishes. Piles of yellow and white rice on plates, dishes of eggplant, spinach and tomatoes, coloured with red dots of pomegranate. Persians love sour flavours, and cranberries, rhubarb, oranges, lime, and thamarind are used a lot to give the food the desired taste.

Zereshk Polo, Fesenjan and Gormeh Sabzi, are some of the dishes that are served on almost every Persian dinner party. Every Persian woman has her own specialties and they are always keen to share each secret of the creation with you.

So let's go to that dinner! But stop! You don't just step in to the house and start eating after half an hour. The etiquette is a little bit different. It was good that my boyfriend told me that I always have to bring a gift with me. In the Netherlands it is not always obligatory to give a gift, a lot of people get away with blurting 'next time dinner is on me' and the host will not even be offended. But no, Persians are very polite and generous to each other and so I needed to buy gifts like Ferrero Rocher chocolate and sweet Persian cookies. And no, you cannot bring a bag of chips.

So did we step into that house yet? No, because we forget one thing. You need to change your shabby jeans into a dressed pants. Because Persians dress up for the occasion. And wait, did you already put your make-up on? Without make-up you will feel so non-glamorous compared to the sometimes totally groomed women, who take pictures of every move you make. Persian dinners are glamorous and to be a good guest, you need some charm.

Now we can go inside. Once inside, you will be embraced by all the warmth of the hosts. Everyone is social, everyone talks to each other and asks about yourself and your loved ones. Persians are the masters of sociability and they make it a treat to visit their house.

After hours of drinks and sweets it is time for dinner. Everyone eats as much as they want. It is even encouraged by the host to eat the most you can. This made me confused at times when I was not sure if they really meant it. But they do! The more you eat, the more satisfied your host seems to be. (So this made me fat; D).

If you can survive even more sweets after dinner, than you succesfully succeeded your first Persian dinner experience. An experience you will not soon forget!

To be continued...

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