Modern Persian Food

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world, but it's also one of the most versatile and flavorful. In this episode, we'll talk to Mersedeh Prewer from Saffron and Herbs about the history, cultivation, and uses of saffron. We'll also share some of our favorite recipes that feature this delicious spice.

What is saffron? Saffron is a spice that comes from the Crocus sativus flower. The stigmas (the female reproductive parts) of the flower are collected and dried, and then used as a spice. Saffron has a strong, earthy flavor and a bright yellow color. It's often used to add flavor and color to rice dishes, paella, and other Mediterranean dishes.

Why is saffron so expensive? There are a few reasons why saffron is so expensive. First, it's a very labor-intensive crop. It takes about 75,000 saffron crocus flowers to produce just one pound of saffron. Second, saffron is very delicate and can easily be damaged. Third, saffron is only grown in a few specific regions of the world, such as Iran, Spain, and Morocco.

What flavor and effect does saffron give to cooking? Saffron has a strong, earthy flavor and a bright yellow color. It's often used to add flavor and color to rice dishes, paella, and other Mediterranean dishes. Saffron can also be used to make tea, desserts, and other foods.

Forms of saffron for cooking: Saffron is available in a few different forms, including threads, powder, and liquid. Threads are the most traditional form of saffron, and they have the strongest flavor. Powdered saffron is more convenient to use, but it doesn't have as strong of a flavor. Liquid saffron is made by dissolving saffron threads in water or oil.

This episode has been sponsored by Zaffrus Saffron - The True Taste of Saffron

Find them at Zaffrus.com or Amazon.

Mercedes site: Saffron and Herbs

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Bita and Beata are deep diving into the controversial Persian ingredient called Kashk. They are honored to have Omid, The Caspian Chef as a special guest today to help them demystify the origination, different forms, and flavor notes of kashk. Omid even teaches Bita and Beata how to make kashk at home! Lastly, the trio share some of their favorite dishes to serve with a drizzle of kashk plus some new and innovative ideas for adding kashk in non-expected soups and sides.

This episode has been sponsored by Oyna Natural Foods. Fresh, authentic Persian Flavors.

San Francisco Bay delivery or order from GoodEggs.

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Reference to MPF Episode 31 Caspian Sea Regional Foods

Kashk recipe by The Caspian Chef: Kashk - Persian whey sauce - The Caspian Chef - Omid Roustaei

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Special guest Jaleh Arabian, also known as Maman Jaleh (Bita's mother-in-law) and MJ for short, joins the podcast today to shed light on old customs and traditions around Persian superstitions. One of the ways to ward off evil and cleanse the air is to burn esphand/esfand or wild rue. Wild rue seeds are burned in a special vessel stovetop and the smoke and aroma are spread around the room for cleansing. Listen to the episode to also hear how eggs play a role in Persian superstitions.

This episode is sponsored by Sadaf Foods, Find them online at Sadaf.

Use special offer code: Modern15

For 15% off of esfand

Modern Persian Food podcast references:

MPF episode 26, Flowers | Gol in Persian Culture

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Cohosts Beata and Bita reflect on spring time and how they have celebrated Easter, both growing up Persian in the US and also as adults in their Iranian-American families. They share their favorite Easter and springtime foods and recipes which include:

• Deviled eggs

• Steamed fava beans

• Baghali Polo | Layered Persian dill rice with fava beans

• Lamb including braised lamb shanks maycheh and lamb chops

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita's recipe for Deviled Eggs

Bita's recipe for Baghali Polo

Beata's recipe for Thanh's Classic Deviled Eggs – BeatsEats

Beata's post on Bagheleh Polo bah Maycheh – Braised Lamb Shank Over Fava Bean and Dill Rice – BeatsEats

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Born in Iran and raised in California, Penny is the first Persian Jewish chef and businesswoman to be featured on hit culinary and reality television shows. Beata and Bita learn about Penny's hybrid, mixed culture family and Persian Passover traditions old and new.

Listen and learn what green onion beatings are all about in Persian Passovers, as well as Penny's family tradition of playing hide and seek with Matzo crackers!

Feel free to submit a question for our Ask the Beats segment of our show and we will feature it in a future episode! Email us with your question, [email protected] or leave us an audio message through Instagram @modernpersianfood

Modern Persian Food podcast references:

Episode 107: The Persian Medicine of Hot & Cold Foods with Candice Walker

Episode 124: Vegan Persian Food with Elham

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

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Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Co-hosts Bita and Beata are joined by special guest, pastry chef and culinary expert Tara Omidvar of Made of Sugar and Saffron. Jump into this episode to hear about the many forms of halva in Iran and all around the world. There are 100s of varieties from different regions. Listen to the end and get a recipe walkthrough for how to make the very traditional version of halva found in Iran including tips and tricks to make it luscious and smooth.

This episode has been sponsored by Zaffrus Saffron - The True Taste of Saffron

Find them at Zaffrus.com or Amazon.

Tara's recipe for Traditional Persian Halva

Tara's site: Made of Sugar & Saffron

IG handle @madeofsugarandsaffron

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

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Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Setting a sofreh or special table setting is the first step in honoring the ancient traditions of our ancestors on several holidays. In this week's episode, Bita and Beata dive into what goes on each of the sofrehs, what they represent, and also common themes amongst them. These happy occasions include the following seasonal transitions and also when people get married:

Norouz/Norooz | the Persian New Year with setting a haftsin;

Mehregan | celebration of fall and special setting

Yalda | the Persian winter solstice celebration

Sofreh aghd | Persian wedding setting

This episode is sponsored by Sadaf Foods, award winning home-made Persian sauces. Find them online at Sadaf.

Use special offer code: Modern15

For 15% off of kashk, esfand, and norouz collection

Free shipping on all orders over $100

Feel free to submit a question for our Ask the Beats segment of our show and we will feature it in a future episode! Email us with your question, [email protected] or leave us an audio message through Instagram @modernpersianfood

Modern Persian Food podcast references:

Episode 75: Norooz Haft Seen

Episode 51: Mehregan

Episode 114: Yalda Winter Solstice

Episode 20: Persian Weddings with Nilou

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Beata and Bita get thirsty talking to special guest, Zahra Tabatabai, owner and founder of Back Home Beer. The Beats love the tagline, "born in Iran, brewed in New York". This interview is a great story of a family history of fermenting and brewing - a passion that turned into pandemic project that turned into a budding business!

This episode was first broadcast on the International day of the Woman. Beata and Bita are happy to support all Persian women and especially to honor the Zan Zendeghi Azadi movement in Iran. Listen and learn about Back Home Beer's flagship product as well as some very unique varieties using Persian ingredients and influences. Incidentally Back Home Beer has a special beer called Yalda Queen!

This episode is sponsored by Spice of Life, award winning home-made Persian sauces. Find then locally in select DC stores or online at: https://www.enjoyspiceoflife.com/

Modern Persian Food podcast episode 127: Persian Beer with Zahra becomes a cultural spotlight getting into some of the history of beer and brewing in Iran.

Can you guess who the originators of barley brewed beer and fermentation is thousands and thousands of years ago??

Back Home Beer

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

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Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

The biggest Persian holiday of the year, the Persian new year, is called Norooz (also spelled Nowruz) which translates to a new day. Beata and Bita covers the whole gamut of the 2+ week festivities from spring cleaning (Khoneh Takooni) and Chahar Shambeh Soori, growing spring grass (Sabzeh), and setting a symbolic table setting (Haft-seen setting), all the way through the picnic day that closes things out, Sizde Bedar!

This episode has been sponsored by Zaffrus Saffron - The True Taste of Saffron

Find them at Zaffrus.com or Amazon.

Now that the Beats have given a great overview of the traditional customs and events, what modern day versions will you incorporate into springtime fun? Will you set up a haft-seen, grow spring grass, or give cash aidees? We hope we've inspired you to join in any aspects of the Persian new year that meets your current lifestyle.

Ask the Beats! Do you know that we have a segment in most of our episodes where we take in your questions? Submit a question or comment through Instagram (try the audio feature!), email ([email protected]) and we'll do our best to incorporate it into a future episode. You may choose to include your name and handle or to remain anonymous.

Modern Persian Food podcast references:

Episode 22: Norooz Part 1

Episode 23: Norooz Part 2

Episode 75: Norooz Haft Seen

Episode 64: Aash Reshteh

Beata's Ash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup and Asheh Reshteh – Persian Noodle Soup – Original Recipe Post

Beata's Persian Frittata Koo Koo Sabzi

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Persian pizza? What?? Yep, the Beats are getting creative with some cross-cultural Italian-American-Iranian pizza ideas. Beata reflects on pizza culture in current day Iran, what makes a cut above (hint, hint, hot dogs, sausages, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and more), Persian pizza conceptions in the US, and making pizza from scratch at home for a fun Friday night.

Listen to the end to hear Roya's Ask The Beats question, "Bita, how did you make the work of art, double layer tahchin cake I spied on Instagram?!"

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio