The formal establishment of Shiʿism in Iran during the Safavid period was not an instantaneous phenomenon, but rather the result of deep-rooted historical and cultural processes. Prior to its political institutionalization, Shiʿism had already begun to assert its influence over various cultural and social domains in Iran, achieving notable successes in some areas even before the consolidation of political power. Among these domains, customs and traditions—including one of its essential components, the realm of food—played a significant role. This article, employing a descriptive-analytical method based on library sources, seeks to address the question of through which channels and by what mechanisms Shiʿi teachings penetrated the sphere of Iranian dietary practices prior to the formal establishment of Shiʿism in the Safavid era. It appears that this influence was exerted not through political authority, but via the cultural-social functions of Sufism and its intellectual convergence with traditional medicine, gradually leading to the institutionalization of Shiʿi dietary practices.This article, employing a descriptive-analytical method based on library sources, seeks to address the question of through which channels and by what mechanisms Shiʿi teachings penetrated the sphere of Iranian dietary practices prior to the formal establishment of Shiʿism in the Safavid era. It appears that this influence was exerted not through political authority, but via the cultural-social functions of Sufism and its intellectual convergence with traditional medicine, gradually leading to the institutionalization of Shiʿi dietary practices.