
The 3,000-year old Kang Village in Mashhad, Iran
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