Omid Roustaei

    Headshot of Omid Roustaei in kitchen wearing a striped apron Headshot of Omid Roustaei in kitchen wearing a striped apron

    Expertise: Persian Cuisine

    Omid Roustaei has been deeply involved in the culinary world for more than 20 years, first as a personal chef and culinary instructor, and more recently as a recipe developer and writer. These days he balances his “day job” as a psychotherapist with food writing and teaching, increasingly incorporating his Persian heritage into his culinary journey.

    Experience

    Omid’s lifelong journey and love affair with food and cooking began in 1998, when he left a career in biotechnology to study the art of intuitive cooking. Having learned to be creative and improvisational in the kitchen, he worked as a private chef for 15 years, and taught thousands of hours of cooking classes.

    In recent years, Omid’s teaching has focused increasingly on Persian cuisine. He publishes stories and recipes on his blog, thecaspianchef.com. He continues to teach at several culinary venues in the Pacific Northwest, and is reaching a global audience through online classes and contributions to several institutions including The Smithsonian and The Spruce Eats.

    Education

    Omid has a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Chemistry from the University of Northern Arizona, and a Master of Arts in Applied Behavioral Science from Bastyr University. He gained his Personal Chef and Culinary Instructor certifications in the plant-based culinary program at the School of Natural Cookery in Boulder, Colorado.

    About The Spruce Eats

    The Spruce Eats, a Dotdash brand, is a food and drink website offering more than 15,000 tested recipes, 1,200 how-to videos, informative articles, trustworthy product recommendations, and the inspiration to help you make your best meal. Learn more about us and our editorial process.

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