What are the most famous traditional dishes of Kish?
The beautiful island of Kish, one of the most attractive tourist areas in Iran, is filled with the most modern entertainment areas, restaurants, shopping centers, and luxury hotels that have made this island a great place for travel and entertainment.
In the meantime, the thousands of years old rich history of this island cannot be ignored. The originality of kish has been preserved in the corners of the historical attractions of the island and especially in the culture and traditions of the native people of the region. If you want to get to know the culture and lifestyle of the people of the island during your trip to Kish, in the midst of this modern city, it is better not to miss trying the local and native dishes of the island. In this article, we decided to introduce you to local dishes that should not be missed during your trip to the beautiful island of Kish.
Traces of fish can be seen everywhere in the traditional dishes of Kish and Southerners in general, but the natives of Kish use different seasonings to flavor the food. For this reason, the taste of their food may be slightly different from other southern regions of the country. Learn more about some of these foods. Travel to Iran with IranAmaze and you can try these dishes in the best restaurants in Kish.
1- Samak Mashwi
The traces of Arabic cuisine are clearly visible in the traditional dishes of Kish. One of these foods is grilled fish. This popular dish of the natives of Kish Island is prepared from fresh fish and Arabic spices. The main ingredient of this dish is fresh fish from the Persian Gulf, which is grilled or fried. Since the inhabitants of the island cook this dish with Arabic spices, it has a wonderful taste for those who like spicy food.
2- Mazroobeh
Fish will not be removed from the table of southerners, especially natives and local dishes of Kish. Mozrubeh is another traditional dish of Kish with a special and unique taste. To prepare the soup, fish is combined with local vegetables and flavored garlic and cooked.
3- Ghalieh Mahi
Ghalieh Mahi is one of the most well-known traditional dishes of Kish. It is not, however, a special dish of Kish, but it is southern, and it is served a lot among the conventional dishes of Kish, and maybe because of the seasonings that are added to it, it has a slightly different flavor from other regions. To prepare this dish, fish is roasted with delicious and aromatic vegetables and cooked with seasoning and other aromatic and tasty ingredients.
4- Shrimp Stew
Shrimp roe stew or shrimp stew has an appearance similar to Ghormeh Sabzi, Ghalieh Mahi, and other Iranian vegetable dishes. with the difference that it uses shrimp instead of meat or fish and the variety of vegetables is less. Its primary and basic flavor is garlic, which is added during cooking. They also add a special pickle to it, which is usually tamarind.
5- Kalreh Kandi
Sardine “Ome” fish is a golden-sided sardine. The natives and residents of Kish Island use this fish to prepare a type of food called Kaleh Kandi. The name of this dish comes from the fact that the head of the fish is first beaten so that only the meat remains. Then they cook it with aromatic ingredients. After cooking, spices, hot onions, and local oil are added to it.
6- Margoog
Margoog or Marqooq is a kind of authentic Arabic food that is cooked in Kish with a different recipe. This authentic Kish dish contains all kinds of fresh vegetables. Margoog is prepared from lamb meat, potatoes, carrots, hot green peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and special spices. To cook it, meat and vegetables are first cooked separately and then mixed. In the end, small pieces of Sangak bread dough are added to the dish. Like all Iranian stews, Margoog is served with rice, and among other traditional dishes of Kish, it remains a little unknown.
7- Pudni
This dish is one of the strangest traditional dishes of Kish. Pudni is a dish cooked with fish meat, spicifically shark meat hunted from the coasts of Kish. Hard shark meat is a little hard to cook. In order to be able to fully cook the meat, the Berpoumians of Kish first cook it in lemon juice and turmeric. Then they skin the shark and press the meat until the water inside the meat is empty. Then it is roasted with spices and aromatic vegetables and served with rice.
8- Hamsah
Inside the pearl oyster, which is called “mohar”, there is a small fleshy part, of course, not all of it is edible. The natives of Kish carefully separate the edible part of oysters and cook the edible part with various spices and onions and make it tasty. You can eat this dish with rice or bread.
9- Majboos Rice
Majbous rice is an Arabic food and is made from a combination of rice, fish or meat or chicken, onions, tomatoes, coriander seeds, fennel, cumin, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and turmeric. The recipe is not that difficult. Pieces of meat, fish, or chicken are put in the pot and special spices such as cloves, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and local spices are added to them. In the end, add the grated tomato and let the ingredients cook well together and settle.
The natives of Kish serve this dish with rice. If you like to try this food, be sure to tell the tour guides to take you to the traditional neighborhoods of Kish so that you can get to know its culture, lifestyle, and of course its delicious food.
10- Biryani Rice
Biryani rice may not be specific to Kish, but it is a southern dish that is very popular in Kish. To make it, they use red meat, potatoes, lentils, raisins, and blackberries. They flavor the meat and cook it well. Potatoes and lentils are also cooked and along with roasted raisins and barberry, cardamom and cinnamon are placed next to the drained rice. This style of cooking turns the rice we always eat into one of the most special traditional dishes of Kish.
11- Mahmar (Sugary Rice)
Mahmar or Meammar is one of the popular and local dishes of Kish Island is Meammar rice. To prepare this rice, they pour a lot of sugar into it during cooking, so that its color turns yellow, then it is served with fish.
12- Hariseh
Hariseh is a kind of traditional and old Halim of Kish Arabs. Wheat and meat are used to prepare harissa. Soaked wheat and meat are cooked together and stirred regularly until the ingredients are completely crushed, then some butter is added to it. They use sugar, butter, and cinnamon to decorate it.
13- Khabiseh,
Khabiseh is a sweet pudding and is considered among the traditional dishes of Kish. Do not miss Khabiseh on your trip to Kish. Khabiseh is a type of Arabic halva that is very easy to prepare. Wheat flour or rice flour is fried in oil. In another container, water and sugar are mixed together until you get consistency. Then they add it to the fried flour and mix well until it takes the shape of a Halva. Sometimes they add cardamom or saffron inside the halwa before removing it from the heat.
Make Your Trip to Kish Last With Local Kish Dishes
Surely, the trip to any city and country will be pleasant and lasting when you can get to know all the cultural details of the people there. Tasting the authentic food of the place you travel to will also help you get to know the people of that area more. If you’re curious about the best Iranian food, don’t miss our guide to discover must-try dishes across Iran. On the other hand, tummy time is one of the greatest pleasures. While traveling or living in Kish, don’t miss tasting the authentic taste of Kish natives’ food.
Where can we eat delicious local food in Kish?
After our mouths started drooling with the delicious dishes we mentioned, it was time to eat in Kish. Where can we eat these delicious foods? One of the best places to experience the real and high-quality taste of Kish local cuisine is in the restaurants of 5-star Kish hotels and 4-star Kish hotels. These restaurants host travelers from all over Iran and even the world, offering the best and highest quality local dishes for satisfaction and hospitality. For more recommendations on the best Iran restaurants across the country, explore our guide to find top dining spots that celebrate Iran’s rich culinary traditions.
- Apadana restaurant in Dariush Kish hotel
- Pasargad Restaurant in Dariush Hotel
- Mariana Hotel Garden Restaurant
- Parmis Hotel Restaurant
- Shambler Restaurant in Shayan Kish Hotel
- Loshato restaurant in Shayan hotel
- Traditional restaurant in Shayan Hotel
- Khurshid Restaurant of Taraj Kish Hotel
- Taranj Kish hotel beach restaurant
