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For part II of the traditional Persian Norooz sweets, I present you with a select but delightful array of goodies that were on display and offered to guests at the home of my friend Sara. All of these sweets were handmade by Sara’s talented sisters in law.
These first batch of cookies may be my most poetic gastronomic discovery yet as I valiantly eat my way through Iran. They are called mojde ‘ye bahar – or literally: "spring’s good news." And they really are good news. Crunchy, fragrant, with just the perfect hint of sweetness. Sara tells me that to make these, her sisters in law store blanched almonds and hyacinth flowers together — all the way from June and until just weeks before Norooz — so that the almonds absorb the fragrance of the hyacinths. They then use these almonds to make these pretty little crispy and sweet smelling puffs that are meant to resemble little blossoms. A truly wonderful treat.
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These are called sohan – a type of sweet that is crispy, crunchy and toothsome.
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These are bereshtook - a type of sweet that is soft and mildly sweet, with a melt in your mouth texture that is reminiscent of halva. (The beautiful needlepoint in the background is made by and courtesy of Sara.)
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And let’s conclude with these beautiful noon ‘eh berenji cookies that are embellished with flower patterns and "mobarak b’ad" inscriptions.
And with that, I bid you a truly fond farewell and a happy weekend all the way from Tehran.
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Image may be NSFW.
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