Vegetarianism has a long history in Iran and ancient Persia. In short, Persian prophets like Zoroaster, Mazdak and Mani, as well as many other famous figures throughout history, were vegetarian or vegan and promoted this lifestyle in their spiritual teachings or epic poems. Although vegans are a small minority in this country, their number is ever-increasing. Also on the rise are vegan activists and NGOs that are freely promoting the vegan lifestyle, mainly via social networks.

The impact of these cultural movements, alongside limited access to meat, resulted in a wide diversity of vegan dishes in Persian cuisine. Today, however, the influence of the media and Western nutritional misinformation about protein has spread worldwide. Like others around the globe, most Iranians think of meat as a must-have ingredient for survival. The good news is that the global movement of veganism has also reached Iran in the past decade.

Tehran, the lively capital city, is a culinary haven for exquisite vegan cuisine. With a multitude of outstanding vegan restaurants, everyone will be impressed.