Omid Roustaei is an Iranian-American chef and culinary instructor who has been deeply involved in the culinary world for more than 25 years. Born and raised in Tehran, he attended the School of Natural Cookery in Boulder, Colorado, where he studied the art of intuitive and improvisational plant based cooking.

Omid now balances a career as a psychotherapist with his enthusiasm for teaching and writing. He shares Iranian culture and traditions through cooking and storytelling, using the power of food to foster connections and serve as a gentle form of advocacy and activism. He is a regular contributor to The Kitchn and The Spruce Eats.

Photography by Sama Rahbar