Sangak (Persian: سنگک, Azerbaijani: səngək, Kurdish: sengek) or nân-e sangak (Persian: نان سنگک) is a plain, rectangular or triangular Iranian whole wheat leavened flatbread.[1]

Sangak
Sangak flatbreads
Alternative namesNan-e sangak
TypeFlatbread
Place of origin Iran
Region or stateKhorasan
Main ingredientsWheat flour, Sour dough, Sesame
Food energy
(per serving)
75 kcal (314 kJ)
Other informationNational bread of Iran
Two bakers baking sangak bread in a traditional oven
Baking Sangak bread in a bakery in Isfahan, Iran

History

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In Persian sangak means little stone. The bread is baked on a bed of small river stones in an oven. There are usually two varieties of this bread offered at Iranian bakeries: the generic one which has no toppings; and the more expensive variety which is traditionally topped with poppy seeds and these days with sesame seeds,[2] and to less extent black cumin, caraway, cumin and even dried aromatic herbs.

Sangak bread was traditionally the bread of the Persian army. It is mentioned for the first time in the 11th century. Each soldier carried a small quantity of pebbles which at camp were brought together to create the "sangak oven" that would bake the bread for the entire army. It was eaten with lamb kabab.

The bread has always been widely eaten in the territory of present-day Azerbaijan, but following the Soviet takeover in 1920, it became less common.[3] The Soviets opted for mass production of bread, an option which was not amiable to the traditional, hand-formed sangak.[3] In neighbouring Iran, however, sangak never lost its popularity.[3]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Caballero, Benjamin; Finglas, Paul M.; Toldrá, Fidel, eds. (2015). Encyclopedia of Food and Health (Vol. 1). Academic Press. p. 727. ISBN 978-0123849533.
  2. ^ "Breads of Iran". Food Reference. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  3. ^ a b c "Bread - Chorak". Azerbaijan International. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
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  •   Media related to Sangak at Wikimedia Commons