I was born in Iran and moved to Wales as a child. When my family came to Britain, we had to travel to London or Birmingham from our home in Anglesey to buy exotic ingredients like rice, feta cheese and herbs. I'm lucky to feel at home both in the UK and Iran and travel to my mother's house in Tabriz regularly. I now live and work in Bath. Where possible I use the herbs, fruit and vegetables grown in Bath Organic Group Garden or friends who kindly share their homegrown produce with me. In modern day Iran, as in other nations, food is a shared pleasure and an expression of love. The kitchen, or "osh-paz-khaneh", literally translates as osh-cooking-house. Osh is a pulse and herb based broth which varies in flavour depending on the vegetables available in each season and the occasion. Herbs are cleaned and dried in the summer months to be used for osh in the winter. Being an Azeri, Osh is one of my all time favourite dishes and the taste of home.  Most home cooking is done by mothers and grandmothers; however, it is usually men who are chefs in restaurants. Food is traditionally served on a large Sofreh (table cloth). The elders and more esteemed guests typically sit at the head of the sofreh. The cuisine of Iran varies from region to region. I am from the north west of Iran – Tabriz, in Iranian Azerbaijan - and was born in white peach season (July). Azeris are famed for their cuisine and hospitality; and also for being stubborn! Now, with the increase of imported food and modern agricultural techniques, most ingredients can be found in Iran all year round. When I was a child, it wasn’t so, and we would look forward to the first unripened plums (gojeh sabz) and green almonds (chaghaleh badum), or to making tomato puree with tomatoes from Laleh. *** Iranian cooking is relatively healthy and uses very simple ingredients which are treated individually before being brought together in a dish. Most dishes call for simple, slow cooking where the flavours have a chance to mingle and infuse together. Almost all dishes can be served with or without meat. Saffron is always used to colour and scent the food. It is hardly ever thrown into a dish in strands; rather it is first made into a saffron tea. Nuts and herbs are not only used for garnishes but also as ingredients in their own right. It could be said that the national dish of Iran is rice and kabob (Chelow Kabob). There are two ways to prepare rice. Most people are more familiar with the preparation of Kateh. This is where we use about one and half to twice the quantity of water to the quantity of rice; it is absorbed by the rice during cooking. The second way, Chelow or Polow, is made more elaborately. This is the type of rice we usually prepare. It requires the rice to be boiled (like pasta) until it ‘dances’ in the pot, sieved, and then put back into the pot, ‘wearing a turban’ to steam.  In the past, people didn’t want to waste a grain of rice and as the pots or heat sources were not standardised, in order to protect the rice from sticking to the pan, they would first put in a piece of bread or thinly sliced potato before pouring the rice in to steam. This protective layer is called Tah-dig; literally, it means the bottom of the pan, and is one of the tastiest parts of the rice dish.   Bread (lavash) tah-dig Potato tah-dig The steamed rice can be served plain with a stew / curry style dish known as Khoresh or you can add layers of spices, herbs, vegetables or meat to make coloured rice. The mixed rice and accompanying Khoresh are usually based on seasonal ingredients. In the summer, this might be fresh tomatoes, courgettes, aubergine and herbs; in the winter months, spices, pulses and dried fruit or herbs are used. Other non rice based dishes are generally served with bread. Bread is usually bought daily (like the French baguette) and it is the responsibility of the youngest in the family to get the bread. There are bakers on street corners, each specialising in a different type of bread, as the preparation and cooking methods vary somewhat. They open at particular times and long queues for bread may be observed at these times. *** I can't really complete this introduction to Persian food without mentioning Ab Goosht, or "meat water". This is very similar to French Cassoulet : chickpeas (other pulses are also used) are cooked for a long period in an earthenware pot known as a dizzy, with lamb, saffron, and some vegetables. It is traditionally served with a bread called Sangak, or "little pebbles". This triangular flat bread is cooked to order in an oven on little river pebbles. It is not uncommon to see people flicking the hot stones off their freshly baked Sangak as they walk along the street. When the ab goosht is ready, first the stock is poured into a bowl and eaten with Sangak croutons. That is followed by the meat and pulses which some like to mash before eating.  At gatherings or parties the host showcases their cooking skills by cooking many different dishes; these are, for the most part, served at the same time. We usually begin a meal with a soup or Osh and that is followed by several flavoured rice dishes and khoresh to go with plain rice. Side dishes may include aubergine, frittatas (kuku), salads, plates of herbs, pickles and bread. All of these dishes are beautifully decorated with saffron, spices, nuts and herbs.  I hope this has whetted your appetite. |