My cultural project was about cuisine in Farsi-speaking countries such as Afghanistan and Iran. I explored what people eat for each of the three meals, what foods are the most common, food offering etiquette, restaurants, and learned the names of foods in Farsi.
I found it interesting that there were KFCs and McDonalds in Afghanistan. I know McDonalds is a huge chain restaurant, but I did not picture it in the Middle East. I learned that the menu is not the traditional one we see in America, but it caters to the dietary likes of Middle Eastern people. The foods are served spicier and they are not piled with cheese as it is in America.
Since the cultures in the Middle East are so caring and familiar, it is impolite not to offer guests food or drinks when they show up. Guests do not necessarily have to call in, but if they come over they should be offered something. In turn, it is impolite to refuse guest from a host. The host offering you food or drinks is a sign that they care about your wellbeing.
I found out that men often go to restaurants for lunch breaks at work. Some of these restaurants are not as sanitary as they should be. I have a friend from Iran whose brother, a worker, ate meat at a restaurant and caught Hepatitis. The water quality is not that great, so occurrences such as this are far from extreme.
At restaurants, it is impolite to tip because that means you are judging the worth of another.
A famous dish that I found is Qabuli Palau, which is a blend of rice, vegetables, raisins, and meats. The recipe varies depending on who makes it. This food is served mainly at lunch and large gatherings.
I would like to explore more about the meat quality and rice harvesting in these two countries. I was not expecting them to be big on dairy products, but that is not the case.
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