As the train headed towards London, chefs at the restaurant made up the order of two portions of chicken tikka, pilau rice, nan bread and a side order of onion bhajis.

BBC: Curry on the cross-country express

"The Afghan nan (the local bread) is almost a meter-long and half-an-inch thick, " Ashok wrote in a typical post on his blog.

NPR: Discovering Afghan Cuisine, a World Away

The price of a popular Iranian bread, known as nan-e sangak, has risen by about 30% in the past few months, according to Iranians.

WSJ: Iran Buying Wheat, Fearing More Curbs

His first film, the lyrical short "Bread and Alley" ("Nan va koocheh, " 1970), launched the institute's cinema division.

WSJ: The Metaphysical Riddles of Abbas Kiarostami