Samanu is the Haft-sin item made from germinated wheat and traditionally cooked into a sweet, thick paste.
The dish is prepared by sprouting wheat, grinding it, and cooking the resulting mixture, often for many hours. Its sweetness comes from the natural conversion of starches during germination rather than from large amounts of added sugar.
Samanu is associated with strength, abundance, fertility, and renewal. It is one of the traditional foods displayed on the Haft-sin table, alongside symbolic items such as apples, garlic, vinegar, and sumac.
Recipes vary across Persian-speaking communities. Some families serve samanu as a shared food, while others mainly display it as part of the New Year arrangement. It should not be confused with senjed, which is the dried fruit of the oleaster tree, or seer, the Persian word for garlic.