So a hot new restaurant has opened in your area and your friend is dragging you along as they go to try it for the first time – the problem is, you have no idea what Persian food could even be like, much less what to expect from your new culinary experience. But you don't want to be that person who spends two hours looking at the menu and asking the waitstaff what every dish is like, so it's probably a good idea to go into it with a little more foreknowledge than you currently have. So if you're looking for a quick rundown of the basics of Persian cuisine, then here's what you need to know.

Rice Is More

Like bread to Europeans and beans to those south of the American border, the Persian cuisine has a starchy staple, and it's rice. Most, if not all of the dishes offered, will come with a bed of rice to be eaten in tandem with the rest of your meal; unlike East Asian rice, Persian rice is generally spiced with dried lime, saffron, or even cinnamon (even for savory dishes, which can be a bit odd for those used to having cinnamon on oatmeal and snickerdoodles).

There are generally three types of rice you'll encounter here; polo (which is just pilaf; very fluffy, but not at all sticky), kateh (a stickier, simpler, more common rice), and damy (which is cooked by steaming, usually with lentils, and is used in tah-chin, which is a common dish with yogurt and egg yolks, most commonly served with chicken or lamb).

Fruits of Labor

Persian cuisine makes liberal use of vegetables and (especially) fruits, especially when it comes to side dishes. Fresh or dried fruits are sometimes found in a communal bowl on the table, salads are mainstays as side dishes, and the eggplant (which will probably be called an "aubergine" on the menu) is used much like the potato tends to be used in American and European cuisine.

The big dish in this category is called dolma, which is usually a fruit or veggie stuffed with either rice or a rice and meat mixture. Stuffed cabbage and grape leaves are the most common incarnations of dolma, but the fillings (and the fruits and vegetables being stuffed) are usually only limited by creativity and what's available in the market.

Drinking Deeply

There are a few specialized beverages that will probably be on the menu, so keep your eye out for words like chai and doogh. Chai you might be able to recognize as tea; chai is always served at breakfast, but is also consumed at many other times during the day (the frequency of which depends on the region the restaurant is pulling from) and can be drunk with lunch or dinner.

Doogh is a little more unfamiliar; it's a semi-thick cold drink made of a mix of yogurt, dried mint, salt, and water, and can be served carbonated or uncarbonated. This drink can be a little odd to those not used to it, so take small sips if you're bent on trying it.