The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years : giving an account of the present state of those countries, viz. of the religion, government, customs, and commerce of every country, and the figures, weight, and value of the money currant all over Asia : to which is added A new description of the Seraglio / made English by J.P. ; added likewise, A voyage into the Indies, &c. by an English traveller, never before printed ; publish'd by Dr. Daniel Cox

CHAP. XVII. Of the Feasts and ordinary Diet of the Persians.

THE Persians are nothing eager after delicacies or dainties; both the nobler and the meaner sort being very temperate in dyet. In regard that wood is so scarce and dear about Ispahan, they never eat boyl'd meat above once a day: and as for their Dinner which they call Shate, it consists of bread, cheese-curds, milk, burnt wine, melons and other fruits in season, to which the rich add wet and dry sweet-meats: At night their usual food is Pilaw and rost meat. They buy their Provision from hand to mouth, especially the Mahumetans, which is a double charge. But for the Armenians, they live thriftily, and buy at once a good quan∣tity of provisions to last for so long time.

Muttons, Kidds, Pullets and Pidgeons, are the usual dyet of the Persians; for as for Beef they very rarely eat it. The King and the great Lords will eat a piece of a Hare sometimes when they have been a hunting: but when they have kill'd a wild Boar, they send it always to some Christian, in expectation to be presented for the honour done him. They have no diversity of Victuals or made Dishes in Persia, their dyet being more proper to satisfie hunger, then to please a nice palate. Mutton and Lamb would be very good in Persia, if they knew how to roast it our way. But the Persians roast only at an oven, which is a hole made in the ground two foot and a half broad, and five or six foot deep. They burn nothing but bushes, and a kind of Turf mix'd with the dung of Cattel, and dry'd in the Sun. There are several roasting Cooks at Ispahan, that roast a whole Sheep at a time, where he that comes to buy may have as much cut out as he pleases. Other Cooks shops are only for boyl'd meat or rice: their fruits which they pickle up in Vinegar being the only sawce which they have.

As for their Bread it is very white, for they have wheat enough to furnish the whole Kingdom. They bake every day, making up their Dow in the form of a thin Cake, strow'd over with Sesamum. They bake these Cakes in their Ovens in the ground, covering the batch over with little round flint stones, that are quick∣ly hot and retain the heat. At Ispahan they make a great fire in an earthen pot, and when it is hot they spread the Dow against the sides of the pot. The Ar∣menians make a sort of bread as thin as Paper, which they bake upon a thin Iron plate which is as thin as paper. Their Plate and Dishes are of red Copper tinn'd within side. For they are forbid to make use of Silver by the Law of Mahomet. Nor does the King use any other then Gold Plate, of which he has great store. They have also a sort of Porcellane made at Kerman. To eat their broths they make use of wood'n spoons: for as for their rice, which is thick, they take it up in their fingers, and wipe their hands upon their handkerchiefs.

The first thing set upon the Table is the Pipe, the Tobacco, and the dish of

Coffee; and indeed thus it is that they begin all their debauches. They suck and smoak of their Tobacco through water in a long glass bottle, by which means it comes cool into their mouths: else they would never be able to take it all day long as they do. They sing very little in their Cups: but they recite a vast num∣ber of wicked Verses, which they rehearse with a great deal of gravity. They are so accustomed to take Tobacco, both men and women, that a poor tradesman that has not above five Sous to spend, will lay out three of them in Tobacco. If they had none, they say they should not have damaque, that is, gladness in their hearts. Many will confess that their excessive taking Tobacco is hurtful; but if you tell 'em of it, they answer in a word, Adedchoud, 'Tis the custome.

Besides their Tobacco they have also Opium made of Poppies, cut as they grow, out of which they draw the juice and make it into Pills. They take no more at first then the head of a pin, increasing their dose by degrees, till they come to take the quantity of half a wall-nut. When they are come to that pitch they dare not give over, for fear of endangering their lives, or addicting themselves to drink wine. In their youth you shall see these Theriakis or takers of Opium, with pale pensive and dejected countenances, and the use of their speech almost lost: If they omit to take for a day together this ill-continued drug that heats their brains, and cau∣ses them to act ridiculously and to talk idly, when it has done working, they are as cold and stupid as before, which obliges 'em to take it again. For this reason they are short liv'd: or if they do live till forty, they complain heavily of the pains that proceed from the cold venome of the herb. They that have a mind to kill themselves, swallow a large piece, and drink Vinegar after it, to prevent the re∣lief of any other Counterpoy on, and so they dye smiling.

They have another sort of drink to make themselves merry, which they call Kokomaar, compos'd of boyld Poppy seed. They take it in broth, and there are particular houses call'd Kokomaars Krone, where people meet to divertise those that see the ridiculous postures which that intoxicating drink causes them to shew. Before it works they quarrel with one another, and call one another all to naught; but never fight. When the drug begins to work, they grow friends; and some are for making complements, others for telling a long tedious story, which renders them very vain. They have also another sort of liquor, which is call'd Bongue, very bitter, being made of the leaves of Hemp and some other drug mix'd with it. It makes those that use it shamefully foolish and ridiculous, which is the reason the Law has forbid that and not the former. The Usbecks have brought into Persia, the Custome of taking in Pipes Tchouherse, which is the flower or rather the woolly substance which is found in hemp-closes. This fills the head with strange conceits, sometimes pleasant and sometimes furious; those that take it being quite besides their sences for two or three hours.

Their Feasts are thus order'd: The guests come in the morning to the house whither they are invited, and all the day long they spend their time in taking To∣bacco and telling stories. Between whiles they have Sweetmeats, Coffee, and Fruits set before them. In the evening the Sofra is spread, and the table serv'd with boil'd and roast. If the person that treats be of any quality, he has a kind of a Governour of his house, that sits upon his heels with a Ladle or great wood∣en spoon in his hand. Then the Inviter makes his complements to the chief of his guests, assuring him that the entertainment is only provided for him, only at his command he is ready to let the rest share with him. The Complements being thus pass'd, the Governour of the House with his great Spoon puts rice and meat upon the little plates, which the servants present by equal portions to every one of the guests. Then they fall too, taking out the rice by handfuls, and the meat with their fingers. Sometimes they mix curdl'd milk with their rice and meat, and making up a lump of all together as big as a Ten∣nis ball, put it all in their mouths at a time, which is the reason they never sit long at Table; one making room for another till they have all done: for as soon as one has done, another comes into his place without any farther Ceremony. They have several Liquors in the room in Porcellain Vessels, but at meals they only drink to drive down their meat and to prevent thirst. When all is done, they bring a Bason with an Ewre full of hot water to wash their hands and faces. After which the Inviter complements his guests, and every one returns home; at which

time the servants are very diligent to bring every man his shoes, in hopes of some little piece of silver.

The Armenians entertain their friends in the same manner; only that they be∣gin their Feasts with a cup of strong water, and some sweet-meats, after which they give a couple of hard Eggs to every one of the guests. The Persians also have soon done, but the Armenians eat swift, and a long time without drinking, which they never do till the end of the meal. After they have given thanks and taken away the cloth, then they fall to drinking to excess. He that gives the enter∣tainment never thinks he has done well, till his guests are not able to find the way out of the room, and the more they tumble about the room, the less he thinks he has spent his money in vain.

To conclude, the Persian's are very Gentile, and afford their victuals with a free∣will to all that will come and eat with them at Supper time: admiring at the custome of the Franks, who shut their doors when they sit down to their meals.