In the north of Iran (city of Gorgan), a group of women has brought an old tradition back to life by recreating the way Iranian families gathered and cooked together generations ago. They renovated an old traditional house that looks remarkably like the homes of many Iranian grandmothers, complete with a peaceful yard where everyone can sit, talk, prepare food, and enjoy each other’s company. For many visitors, stepping into this house feels like traveling back in time—to the days when a grandmother’s home was the heart of the family and relatives could spend an entire day together cooking, laughing, and sharing stories.


خوان چید
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Women from different places join these gatherings not simply to eat, but to experience a kind of nostalgic healing. They wash fresh Persian summer fruits together in the courtyard, prepare vegetables and herbs, and sit around one another while talking about life and old memories. There is something deeply comforting about these simple activities. Instead of rushing through a meal, they enjoy the entire process—from washing the greens to chopping ingredients, cooking over traditional methods, and finally sitting together to share what they have made. The gathering brings back the feeling of a time when food was not just something served on a table, but a reason for families and friends to come together.

Among the traditional dishes they prepare is Kotlet, one of Iran’s most beloved homemade foods. Kotlet is made from a mixture of ground meat, grated potato, onion, and spices, shaped into thin patties and fried until beautifully golden and crisp on the outside while remaining tender inside. They also make Dolme, another classic Persian comfort food, in which grape leaves or vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, or eggplants are stuffed with a flavorful mixture of rice, herbs, and other ingredients. Preparing these foods together in the yard makes the cooking itself part of the celebration. The women wash fresh herbs, prepare vegetables, shape the Kotlet, carefully fill the Dolme, and continue their conversations as the delicious aromas spread through the old house.

What makes this gathering especially beautiful is that the feeling goes far beyond the food. The old house, the courtyard, the shared work, the laughter, and the women cooking side by side remind many Iranians of the way their grandmothers once welcomed family into their homes. In many countries, people have similar memories of grandparents’ houses where food was prepared together and gatherings could last for hours. Here in northern Iran, these women are keeping that feeling alive—not by simply remembering the past, but by recreating it. For everyone who joins, the gathering becomes a celebration of friendship, family, tradition, and the simple joy of being together around homemade food.

This Video is also about:
Persian food lady, Persian people, Iran food, Iranian people, Iran women cooking, Iranian women gathering, Tehran, Gorgan, Iran.


00:00 Intro
00:35 early morning
03:36 start cooking
07:45 wrapping Dolme
11:29 tea time
12:49 buying from Bazaar
14:18 washing the fruits
15:29 frying Kotlet
18:51 guests’ arrival
19:45 drinking syrup
21:07 guests’ tea and sweets
24:35 washing feet
24:49 final cooking
29:04 serving food
29:58 feeding the cat
30:55 praying before lunch
31:40 eating lunch
34:44 washing the dishes
35:40 saying goodbye