What Is Aragh Kasni? Persian Chicory Water Explained
Aragh kasni is the Persian distillate of chicory. What the plant is, why the name covers two species, and a careful look at what the published research does and does not support for a distillate.
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Borani Bademjan Recipe: Persian Eggplant Yogurt Dip
Borani bademjan is cooked eggplant folded into thick yogurt with garlic. Why hot eggplant splits the yogurt, the two draining steps that decide the texture, and how it differs from kashk-o-bademjan.
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Gheymeh Bademjan Recipe: Persian Split Pea & Eggplant Stew
Gheymeh bademjan swaps the fried potato of classic gheymeh for fried eggplant. The narrow window for adding split peas, why acid keeps them hard, and the ten-minute version from a tin.
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Khoresh Bademjan Recipe: Persian Eggplant Stew
Khoresh bademjan is the Persian eggplant and tomato stew. Why eggplant drinks oil and how to stop it, which souring agent to use and when to add it, and the shortcut that removes the frying entirely.
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Tahdig: How to Get a Perfect Persian Rice Crust
Tahdig is the golden crust at the bottom of the Persian rice pot. The two-stage method, the four kinds of tahdig, why the cloth on the lid decides whether it crisps, and the six ways it fails.
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Basbousa Recipe: Semolina Cake in Orange Blossom Syrup
Basbousa, the Egyptian semolina cake soaked in flower-scented syrup. The temperature rule that decides whether it comes out dry or soggy, and when to add the orange blossom water so it does not evaporate.
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Muhammara Recipe: Syrian Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip
Muhammara is the Syrian dip of roasted red peppers, walnuts and pomegranate molasses. The four ingredients that decide it, the three ways it goes wrong, and what to do with the jar once you have made it.
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Zereshk (Dried Barberries): A Buyer’s Guide to Grades, Storage and Use
Zereshk is the Persian name for dried barberries. What the two commercial grades mean, why the colour fades in storage, how to cook them without scorching them, and why you cannot grow them in America.
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Is It Okay to Eat Sour Plums? Aloocheh, Safety and the Real Caveats
Yes, for most people. The real cautions are narrow: never eat the stones, watch the origin of imported salted dried plums, and know that the format changes the answer.
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What Is Medlar (Azgil)? The Fruit That Has to Blet Before You Can Eat It
Medlar, or azgil, is the autumn fruit you cannot eat ripe. What bletting is, the four ways to do it, what it tastes like, why it is not loquat, and the year-round rob.
