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Series:
Part 1 — Vegetables & Fruits
Part 2 — Dairy, Grains & Spices
Part 3 — Snacks, Nuts & Sweets
Part 4 — Coming Soon
🛒 Supermarket Farsi Dictionary — Part 3 of 10
Snacks, Nuts, Dried Fruits & Persian Sweets in Farsi
From pistachio to pashmak, from ajil to chocolate — teach your child the delicious Farsi words for everything in the snack aisle and the Persian sweet shop.
👧 Ages 5–14
🌍 Heritage Families
📖 45+ New Words
🇮🇷 Persian Culture
Series progress
~125 / 200+ words covered
Nuts — مغزها (maghz-haa)
Iran is one of the world's largest producers of nuts — these words are essential
| English | فارسی | Pronunciation | Quick note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🟢 | Pistachio | پسته | pes-te | Iran's most famous nut. Iran produces more pistachios than almost any other country. Kerman province alone grows millions of tonnes. |
| 🟤 | Walnut | گردو | ger-doo | Eaten with cheese and bread at breakfast. Also used in Fesenjan stew. |
| 🔵 | Almond | بادام | baa-daam | Used in Persian sweets and snack mixes. Also eaten raw when green (چاقاله بادام). |
| 🟠 | Hazelnut | فندق | fon-dogh | Common in ajil mixes. The word sounds similar to the English "fonduk." |
| 🟡 | Cashew | بادام هندی | baa-daam-e hen-di | Literally "Indian almond." Kids love discovering this connection. |
| 🥜 | Peanut | بادامزمینی | baa-daam-za-mi-ni | Literally "earth almond" — just like potato (سیبزمینی) means "earth apple." |
| 🫙 | Mixed Nuts / Ajil | آجیل | aa-jil | The most important snack word in Farsi. A traditional mix of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits served at every gathering. |
Culture note: آجیل (Ajil) is not just a snack — it is a symbol of Persian hospitality. Every Iranian home keeps a bowl ready for guests. There is even a special type called آجیل مشکلگشا (Ajil-e Moshkel-gosha) — "problem-solving ajil" — traditionally eaten on Yalda Night while making a wish. Teaching your child the word آجیل is teaching them a core part of Persian social life.
Seeds — تخمهها (tokh-me-haa)
Iranians love roasted seeds — cracking them open is practically a national pastime
| English | فارسی | Pronunciation | Quick note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌻 | Sunflower Seeds | تخمه آفتابگردان | tokh-me-ye aaf-taab-gar-daan | آفتابگردان means "sun-turner" — a beautiful compound word kids love. |
| 🎃 | Pumpkin Seeds | تخمه کدو | tokh-me-ye ka-doo | Roasted and salted — a favourite at family gatherings. |
| 🍉 | Watermelon Seeds | تخمه هندوانه | tokh-me-ye hen-de-vaa-ne | Roasted and cracked with teeth. A uniquely Persian snack. |
| 🍈 | Melon Seeds | تخمه خربزه | tokh-me-ye khar-bo-ze | Also called تخمه ژاپنی in some regions. A staple in salted ajil. |
| 🌱 | Seeds (general) | تخمه | tokh-me | The root word. Combine with any fruit name to make the seed word. |
🗣️ Snack phrases to practise
Can I have some ajil?آجیل میخوام.aa-jil mi-khaam.
I love pistachios!من پسته خیلی دوست دارم!man pes-te khey-li doost daa-ram!
These are too salty.اینا خیلی شوره.i-naa khey-li shoo-re.
Do you want sweet or salty?شیرین میخوای یا شور؟shi-rin mi-khaay yaa shoor?
Dried Fruits — میوه خشک (mi-ve-ye khoshk)
Dried fruits are central to Persian snacking — always on the table next to tea
| English | فارسی | Pronunciation | Quick note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🟤 | Raisins | کشمش | kesh-mesh | The most common dried fruit in Iran. Also used in rice dishes like Zereshk Polo. |
| 🟤 | Dates | خرما | khor-maa | Southern Iran produces world-famous dates. A natural sweetener and Ramadan staple. |
| 🟢 | Dried Figs | انجیر خشک | an-jir-e khoshk | Iran is one of the world's top fig producers. Sweet and chewy when dried. |
| 🟠 | Dried Apricots | زردآلو خشک | zard-aa-loo-ye khoshk | زرد means "yellow" and آلو means "plum" — so apricot is "yellow plum." |
| ⚪ | Dried Mulberries | توت خشک | toot-e khoshk | Sweet and crunchy. A uniquely Persian dried fruit hard to find outside Iran. |
| 🔵 | Dried Plums / Prunes | آلو خشک | aa-loo-ye khoshk | Also called آلو بخارا — "Bukhara plum." |
| 🔴 | Barberries | زرشک | ze-reshk | Tiny sour red berries — the star of Zereshk Polo. Iran grows 90% of the world's barberries. |
Culture note: In every Iranian home, a bowl of خرما (dates) and کشمش (raisins) sits beside the tea tray. Dried fruits are not occasional snacks — they are always present. When guests arrive, the first things placed on the table are tea, ajil, and dried fruit. Teaching your child these words is not just vocabulary — it is teaching them Persian manners.
Traditional Persian Sweets — شیرینی سنتی (shi-ri-ni-ye son-na-ti)
Persian sweets are world-famous — here are the ones your child should know by name
| English | فارسی | Pronunciation | Quick note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🤍 | Gaz (Persian Nougat) | گز | gaz | Famous sweet from Isfahan made with rosewater, pistachios, and egg white. One of Iran's most beloved souvenirs. |
| 🟡 | Sohan (Saffron Brittle) | سوهان | so-haan | Crispy toffee from Qom made with saffron, cardamom, and pistachio. |
| 🟤 | Baklava | باقلوا | baagh-la-vaa | Layered pastry with nuts and syrup. The Persian version from Tabriz uses cardamom and rosewater. |
| 🟠 | Halva | حلوا | hal-vaa | Dense sweet paste from flour, sugar, rosewater, and saffron. Served at special occasions. |
| ⬜ | Rock Candy / Nabat | نبات | na-baat | Crystallised sugar on a stick — Iranians stir it into tea. Often flavoured with saffron. |
| 🫧 | Pashmak (Cotton Candy) | پشمک | pash-mak | Persian candy floss — lighter than Western cotton candy. Means "little wool." |
| ⚪ | Sugar-Coated Almonds | نقل | noghl | Served at weddings and Nowruz. A symbol of celebration and sweetness. |
| 🍪 | Koloocheh (Persian Cookie) | کلوچه | ko-loo-che | Filled cookie from northern Iran (Gilan). Walnut, cinnamon, or coconut fillings. |
Culture note: During Nowruz (Persian New Year), every Iranian home sets out a tray of شیرینی (sweets). Guests visit family and friends for two weeks, and at every house, gaz, sohan, baklava, noghl, and ajil are waiting on the table. Learning these words connects your child to one of the most joyful traditions in Persian culture.
Modern Snacks — تنقلات (ta-nagh-gho-laat)
The snack words your child will actually use in the supermarket aisle
| English | فارسی | Pronunciation | Quick note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🍫 | Chocolate | شکلات | sho-ko-laat | Sounds almost the same in Farsi. Kids remember this instantly. |
| 🍟 | Crisps / Chips | چیپس | chips | Borrowed from English — pronounced the same way. |
| 🍪 | Biscuit / Cookie | بیسکویت | bis-ko-vit | Another borrowed word that sounds similar to the French original. |
| 🍦 | Ice Cream | بستنی | bas-ta-ni | Traditional Persian ice cream uses saffron and rosewater — called بستنی سنتی. |
| 🍿 | Popcorn | ذرت بو داده | zor-rat-e boo-daa-de | Literally "popped corn." A fun compound word kids love breaking apart. |
| 🍬 | Sweets / Candy | آبنبات | aab-na-baat | General word for hard candy or lollipops. Literally "water + nabat (sugar)." |
| 🫧 | Chewing Gum | آدامس | aa-daams | Borrowed from the brand name "Adams" — one of the first gum makers to sell in Iran. |
| 🎂 | Cake | کیک | keyk | Pronounced like English. Birthday cakes, teacakes, and packaged snacks. |
| 🧁 | Pastry / Sweet Treats | شیرینی | shi-ri-ni | General word for all sweet pastries. From شیرین (shirin) meaning "sweet." |
Taste Words — مزهها (ma-ze-haa)
Describe what you're eating — essential words for snack conversations
| English | فارسی | Pronunciation | Quick note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🍯 | Sweet | شیرین | shi-rin | Also a popular Persian girl's name — from the love story Khosrow and Shirin. |
| 🧂 | Salty | شور | shoor | Essential for ajil. "شور یا شیرین؟" (salty or sweet?) is a common question. |
| 🍋 | Sour | ترش | torsh | Used for lemons, barberries, and pickled things (ترشی). |
| 🌶️ | Spicy / Hot | تند | tond | Also means "fast" — context tells which meaning. |
| 😋 | Delicious | خوشمزه | khosh-ma-ze | The most useful word in this whole series. Say it after every bite! |
| 🤢 | Bitter | تلخ | talkh | Dark chocolate, coffee, certain herbs. Also used in Persian poetry. |
🗣️ Taste phrases to practise at snack time
This is delicious!این خوشمزهست!in khosh-ma-ze-st!
It's too sweet.خیلی شیرینه.khey-li shi-ri-ne.
I want chocolate!شکلات میخوام!sho-ko-laat mi-khaam!
Can I have some more?میشه بازم بدی؟mi-she baa-zam be-di?
What flavour is this?این چه طعمیه؟in che ta-mi-ye?
🧠 Snack time quiz — test your child!
Cover one column and ask: "What's this in Farsi?" or "What does this Farsi word mean?"
Pistachioپسته
Datesخرما
Ice Creamبستنی
Raisinsکشمش
Chocolateشکلات
Mixed Nutsآجیل
Deliciousخوشمزه
Walnutگردو
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Part 2 — Dairy, Grains, Meat, Herbs & Spices
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Part 4 — Bakery, Frozen Food & Ready Meals
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Snack words are just the beginning.
Our Persian tutors turn food vocabulary into real conversations through games, stories and everyday practice. Explore structured online Farsi lessons for children and heritage learners.
