Bandar Abbas, Iran

Iran

Bandar Abbas sits at the narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz, where nearly a third of the world's oil supply passes by tanker. The city has been a Persian Gulf trading port for centuries, accumulating Arab, Indian, East African, and Portuguese influences that still show in its food. Bandari cuisine runs hotter and more aromatic than food in northern Iran: tamarind, dried limes (omani), fenugreek, and curry blends are staples that Iranian cooks further north rarely use. Sosis bandari came out of this port kitchen and traveled north to become a national fast food.

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Sausages from Bandar Abbas, Iran

Sosis Bandari

Bandar Abbas, Iran

Sosis Bandari is not a sausage type. It is a dish: Iranian hot dog sausages cut into pieces or scored lengthwise, then cooked down in a spicy tomato sauce with onions, bell peppers, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, and fresh chili. The name means port sausage, from Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf coast. Street vendors and sandwich shops across Iran serve it stuffed into a baguette or noon barbari flatbread, sometimes loaded with fried potatoes. It is the country's most consumed fast food after kebab.

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