Traditional sweets are an integral part of feasts and ceremonies in Iran. As a result of this love for sweetness, delicious local sweets exist in almost every city in Iran.

These traditional sweets are so delicious that they are taken to other cities as souvenirs. While today, very few of us will have the opportunity to try these treats, times are changing; however, these historical persian treats will surely be there waiting.

Gaz

Gaz, a delicious Persian candy, also known as Persian nougat or pistachio nougat, is the traditional sweet of Isfahan, the capital city of central province of Isfahan. The traditional Persian sweet resembles torrone, the classic Italian nougat, but it is relatively softer. As it turns out, it is a sticky, rose-scented nougat full of crunchy pistachios and almonds, chewy like a marshmallow. To prepare this Persian sweet, confectioners simmer sugar, corn syrup, egg white, and rosewater in special large pots. Then they add the nuts — usually pistachios, almonds, or a mixture — Finally, they form the sweet in different shapes and pack them.

You can see the process of preparing this Iranian sweet and taste the warm gaz in Isfahan’s gaz workshops in Naqsh-e Jahan Square. So, do not forget to taste gaz or buy it as a souvenir on your visit to Isfahan.

Qottab

One of the most popular sweets of Yazd, capital city of the central province of Yazd, is qottab, dating back to the late Qajar Period (1789-1925 CE).

Qottab consists of two parts, the crispy outer layer, and the soft filling. To prepare the delicious Persian sweet, the locals first make dough with flour, oil, eggs, milk, and cardamom. Then the dough is filled with almonds, walnuts, powdered sugar, cardamom, and shaped into a small ball. Lastly, they fry the sweets in oil and roll them in pistachios, almond powder, and sugar. Notably, you can find other versions of qottab with different ingredients and shapes.

Pashmak

Pashmak, a Persian cotton candy, is one of the most delicious Persian sweets, the best of which you can find in Yazd. However, it is a traditional sweet in Tabriz, the capital city of the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan, as well.

Confectioners prepare pashmak by combining sugar, flour, oil, cardamom, and other flavorings in a machine that gently pulls the mixture into thin threads. You can find pashmak in different shapes and flavors.

Loz and baqlava

Loz is a diamond-shaped Yazdi sweet, which comes in different colors and flavors such as coconut, almond, pistachio, and saffron.

Baqlava—baklava — is like loz, but it’s a different pastry. It consists of layers of dough and crunched nuts — pistachios, almonds, and walnuts —g cooked together, covered with honey and syrup, and flavored with cardamom and rosewater. It is traditionally presented in diamond-shaped cuts and decorated with crunched pistachios.

Loz and baqlava are super sweet and are mainly served with Persian tea. You can buy a colorful collection of all types of loz and baqlava in a small metal box as a Yazd souvenir.

Noqa

Noqa is a kind of nougat and one of the most famous and delicious sweets of Tabriz. This traditional Iranian pastry consists of sugar, honey, and nuts. You can find different flavors of nougat in Tabriz, including vanilla, walnut, cocoa, chocolate, and nutty flavors.

Qorabieh

Qorabieh, a soft and chewy almond macaroon, is a delicious sweet of Tabriz. Like macaroon, it is a luxurious, expensive pastry. It is cooked in other cities of Iran as well, including Qazvin, the capital city of the northwestern province of Qazvin, and Zanjan, the capital city of the northwestern province of Zanjan.

Halva

Halva is one of the most famous Persian desserts, usually served at special ceremonies. Different kinds of halva are prepared in the Middle East, but Iranian halva is unique.

The popular Persian dessert comes in different types, but it is usually soft and sweet, consisting of flour, oil, and sugar as its main ingredients.

Iranians prepare this delicious Persian sweet by frying flour and adding sugar, oil, etc., to the pot. They simmer all the ingredients and decorate the final dish with nuts. Rosewater, cardamom, and saffron give this Iranian dessert an excellent, unforgettable taste.

Interestingly, tourists who have tasted Iranian halva consider it one of the most delicious Persian desserts.

Ranginak

In southern Iran and along the Persian Gulf, date trees are abundant. So, one of the favorite Persian desserts made from dates is called ranginak, which can be found in the south of the country.

To prepare ranginak, Iranians roast flour until it becomes golden. Then they add oil and butter to the pot. Next, they fill the dates with walnut pieces, place the dates in a dish and pour the mentioned topping on them. Finally, they decorate the plate with cinnamon, powdered walnut, and sugar.

Zoolbia and bamieh

Zoolbia and bamieh are traditional Persian sweets mostly prepared during the holy month of Ramadan, when you can find them in restaurants and confectioneries all over Iran. Zoolbia consists of starch, yogurt, oil, sugar, and saffron. To prepare it, they mix starch and yogurt, spiral the dough into hot oil, and fry it. Then they put it in syrup, rosewater, and saffron.

On the other hand, bamieh has a different shape, deep-fried and covered with the same syrup.

Traditional ice cream

Ice cream is said to have been invented by Persians around 400 BCE. However, the present traditional Persian type of ice cream, called bastani sonnati, was introduced by Akbar Mashti — a Tehrani confectioner — in the 1950s. This Persian sweet that foreign tourists love with consists of vanilla, saffron, rosewater, pistachio, frozen cream pieces, and salep — extracted from wild orchids. Iranians serve bastani sonnati in a dish or in between ice cream biscuits. Besides, you can try a combination of the Persian dessert and faloodeh — a kind of sweet frozen noodles.

Sohan asali

Sohan asali is one of the most popular sweets in the country and one of the main pastries of Iranian feasts during Norouz — Persian New Year.

The delicious sweet is a kind of crispy caramel full of nuts cooked in several Iranian cities including Qom, Yazd and Kerman.

The first step to preparing sohan asali is caramelizing honey, oil, and sugar and then adding nuts until golden brown. Then they pour the liquid caramel into small indented places on a tray and allow it to cool. As you can see, since it does not contain dairy and eggs, sohan asali is a Persian vegan sweet.

Kolompeh

Date cookies are among delicious Iranian sweets produced in different shapes and flavors in southern Iran, where dates are found in abundance.

However, kolompeh is the traditional pastry of Kerman, the capital city of the eastern province of Kerman, a kind of date cake that is very delicate and delicious. The cookie dough ingredients include flour, oil, yogurt, and saffron, and the dough does not contain sugar. Kolompeh filling is a mixture of crushed dates, walnuts, cardamom, and cinnamon. These cookies are skillfully decorated by hand and garnished with pistachio powder in Kerman.