Koofteh Tabrizi is the dish you cannot leave Tabriz without trying: a single grapefruit- or melon-sized meatball made from rice, split peas, ground meat, and a generous handful of herbs, stuffed with a boiled egg, dried plums or apricots, and walnuts, and simmered in a tomato-saffron broth. It is served with the broth as a kind of shared centrepiece, broken open at the table.
Almost every old-fashioned restaurant in the city offers it. Notable spots include Modern Restaurant in the bazaar district, Khaneh Ma in the historic Mokhberalsaltaneh House, and several small family-run places along Tarbiat Street. Order one to share between two — it really is huge.