PinShare4TweetShare4 SharesThis post was first published in my old travel blog, Erudite Traveller on 22 November 2017. It was in Kang Village in Mashhad, Iran, that I learned how to say no five times before accepting offers of food and drinks.  Taroof, the Persian custom of civility and deference, can be a landmine in local – foreigner relations. Persians make offers that they expect will be refused. Its basic component is politeness; by a complicated dance of offers and refusals, people show their respect and deference to one another. Accept offers too early and the offerer will be put on