Eating habits in East Azarbaijan show the culture, attitude, and people’s income level in the northwest region of Iran. Koofteh Tabrizi is one of the most famous local and traditional foods in Tabriz.
Koofteh Tabrizi is well-known and highly popular not only in Azarbaijan province but also all around Iran for its taste, smell, food properties, and cooking method. Koofteh is food with different cooking methods in Iran and the Middle East.
Koofteh is cooked in most Iranian families with slightly different methods and ingredients. This food is an expensive, delicious, and heavy cuisine including minced meat, rice, split peas, walnuts, egg, onion, different types of aromatic vegetables (coriander, tarragon, parsley, mint, and dill), oil, salt, pepper, turmeric, tomato paste and saffron as the spice.
The meat of Koofteh was traditionally smashed in a stone mortar by a wooden pestle which has been today replaced by minced meat because the traditional process was extremely difficult.
The ingredients of Koofteh are prepared as a round mixture (usually as large as a fist) with a boiled egg, walnuts, or dried plum at the center which is decorated with fried onion and barberry. Koofteh Tabrizi is served with Sangak bread, vegetables, yogurt, and some local spices creating a delicious taste.