Kuku (food)

Kuku (also spelled kookoo) is an Iranian dish built from beaten eggs mixed with a variety of other ingredients. It resembles an Italian frittata, a French quiche, or an open-faced omelette, though it usually contains less egg than a frittata and cooks more quickly over low heat, with a brief flip or grill to firm up the top. It can be eaten hot or cold as an appetizer, side, or main dish, often paired with bread and either yogurt or a salad.

The earliest known omelette, introduced in ancient Persia, was nearly identical to kuku, according to the book *Breakfast: A History*. Persian cookbooks from the Safavid and Qajar periods mention kuku, with Qajar records presenting it as a side dish. The most popular version, herb kuku (kuku sabzi), is traditionally served at Nowruz (the Iranian New Year) as a symbol of fresh beginnings, and also at Easter among Iranian Armenians and Georgians.

Traditionally, kuku is fried in oil over low heat and steamed in a covered pan. Baking is also common. Adding yeast gives the dish extra thickness, resulting in a cake-like omelette usually served with bread, though in the northern province of Gilan, rice is the preferred accompaniment.

Kuku comes in many styles: herb kuku (kuku sabzi), potato kuku (kuku sibzamini), eggplant kuku (kuku-ye bādenjān or vereqā), roe kuku (ašbal kuku), and yogurt kuku (kuku-ye māst). Herb kuku, the most widespread type, uses eggs and herbs like leeks and parsley; garlic is popular in northern Iran. A walnut and herb variation (gerdu kuku or qozlu kükü) changes the texture with nuts. Cauliflower kuku (kuku-ye gol-e-kalam) features caramelized onions and cauliflower, and was included in Najmieh Batmanglij's 1986 cookbook *Food of Life*. Potato kuku is made with eggs, potatoes, saffron or turmeric, and other spices, and has been compared to Spanish omelette and latkes. Eggplant kuku uses mashed eggplant, eggs, parsley, walnuts, onions, and barberries. Roe kuku, a Gilan specialty, incorporates caviar.