33 Countries of Origin’ Profiles

9 Iranian Constitution states that “Every individual has the right to select the work they wish to engage in, providing that this does not contravene the provisions of Islam, the public interest or the rights of others (Article 28)”. Thus, the Iranian Revolution allowed the majority of women in Iran to become more successful than men in the media field because of the special characteristics of their gender such as emotional and artistic traits. Yet because of the laws based on gender discrimination, not all women were able to escape being treated as second- class citizens. Food Justin Dodge The land that Iran t oday occupies is quite fertile and a large number of fruits and vegetables are readily available to the people today and in the past. In addition to these foods, animals were also present so the historic diet of the Persians was substantially varied. Among the many fruits and vegetables grown in Iran a re dates, onions, garlic, pomegranate, figs, eggplant, spinach, beans, and more. There are also numerous grains like wheat and rice and animals including sheep, chicken, and sea life in both the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Among others, sturgeon and caviar are present in the Caspian, while the Persian Gulf is home to grouper, mackerel, nagroor, shrimp, crab, and lobster and more. Culinary Influences There were few true culinary influences in Iran f or much of the region's history as the numbers of foods and animals present were incredibly large. Additionally, most of the region's historic diet and local foods still form the base of the local diet and over time the greatest changes have been in the introduction of new spices, vegetables, and in some cases the introduction of entirely new dishes. Through early history the greatest influences came with traders who brought new spices and foods. These foods came from all directions, but primarily from India, the Mediterranean, and to a lesser degree China. These traders arrived to both modern day Iran a s well as to the region just north of there, along the historic Silk Road. The Silk Road had power centers in the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand (both in modern day Uzbekistan) , but these cities were ruled by the Tajiks (who are ethnic Persians) at the time. The influence from this trade changed the cuisine of Iran, but not in the way many would expect. The base diet remained quite firm as few major or noticeable alterations were made to the diet; in fact the Persian base of bread, meat, and rice didn't change at all. However the addition of new spices forever altered the Persian diet in a very subtle way. The traders on the Silk Road and in modern day Iran left behind spices and foods that were mixed and integrated into the local cuisine giving it a unique flavor that survives to this day. Although India a nd Iran s hare a number of spices, the people to the west had greater success in introducing whole dishes to Persian cuisine. For example, the Greeks a nd Turks b rought