All posts tagged: Persian Traditions

Sharbat-e Khakshir Nabat – Persian Summer Drink

Sharbat-e Khakshir Nabat – Persian Summer Drink

Do you crave for a refreshing summer drink on hot summer days? We drink Sharbat-e Khakshir Nabat – Persian Summer Drink in Iran when it’s hot. A healthy and delicious Persian refreshment drink made from Sophia herb seeds, fresh spring water, rose water, lemon juice (optional), ice cubes, and saffron candied sticks. This drink cools you from the inside, is quick to prepare, tastes delicious, and will quench your thirst. The seeds are heavy, and sink to the bottom of the glass and should be stirred just before drinking. The stirring makes them dance their way to the top. If you travel to Iran, you should try Sharbat-e Khakshir Nabat – Persian Summer Drink in a Ab Miveh Forooshi (juice bar), you can get this cool refreshing drink at every corner. Find here some more Sharbat recipes on my blog.

Soup-e Esfenadj - Spinach Soup for Tirgan

Soup-e Esfenadj – Spinach Soup for Tirgan

Tirgan Mobarak! Happy Tirgan! Like all our Persian festivals, at Tirgan, there is a lot of dancing, singing, and reciting poems. It’s tradition to splash water on each other (Ab Pashi) on this day. We also eat certain foods, such as my Soup-e Esfenadj – Spinach Soup for Tirgan. The recipe is super simple! The soup includes fresh baby spinach, potatoes, onions, and oriental spices. It’s vegetarian, as I made it with vegetable stock, but you can also use chicken stock. Add a blob of Greek yogurt, fresh mint, and a few drops of good olive oil to garnish. This creamy, healthy, and delicious soup is on your table in no time.

Nan-e Barbari – Persian Flatbread

Nan-e Barbari – Persian Flatbread

Nan-e Barbari is a Persian flatbread, usually 70 – 80 cm long, and tastes best fresh from the oven. It is most baked and sold in Iran. The bread is very similar to the Turkish flatbread, but not quite so thick and round but thin and oval. If you plan a trip to Iran, you should visit a Noonvai – a persian bakery. The bread is baked in the morning, at noon and in the evening ,fresh and in front of your eyes. Each bakery is specialized in one type of bread and bakes it in a stone oven. In Iran, we have four different types of breads baked in stone ovens, for example Nan-e Sangak is from rye flour and is baked on pebbles, Nan-e Lavash is wafer-thin patties made from wheat flour without yeast, and Nan-e Taftoon is from whole wheat flour.

Chaharshanbeh Suri - The Persian Festival of Fire

Chaharshanbeh Suri – The Persian Festival of Fire

On the last Tuesday evening before the Persian New Year, we celebrate Chaharshanbeh Suri – The Persian Festival. Several rituals are performed on this fire festival to purify the body and mind. Chaharshanbeh means Wednesday, and Suri means light and also fire. In my childhood, this caused some confusion. Why is it called Wednesday and celebrated on Tuesday? It’s the last night to Wednesday before Norooz, the Persian New Year, a festival celebrated at the spring equinox. The Origin of this festival dates back to the Zoroastrian era based on the Tsarathustra’s beliefs. On this day, we celebrate the victory of light over darkness. After all, we are approaching the equinox in a few days. The Fire Festival is an announcement of spring and the revival of nature. Watch Video on Instagram