The Culture of Tea
A big part of the day is consumed
by drinking tea for a lot of Iranians. This can be true
of a lot of Asian cultures but Iranians have managed to
raise the culture of tea drinking to a very distinctly
Persian level. This method involves making the tea in
what is called a samovar, a brilliant Russian invention
for brewing the perfect cup of tea. The samovar is pronounced
and referred to as "samavar" in Farsi. Traditionally Iranians
use a samavar to make tea. This Russian
custom was introduced to Persia in the
18th century and was brought to
Russia from West Mongolia in the 17th century. The first
samavar factory was founded
in Tula in Russia in 1778 and soon became the most popular
way for brewing tea. The early samavars were made from
cupronickel, red and green copper, pinchbeck, in some cases
from silver. Sometimes
they were plated with gold, silver, but basic metal was
always brass. In the course of centuries samavar shapes
changed. Till 20th century they were all hand made and
used charcoal to warm up and boil the water. Later liquid
fuel like kerosene was used and currently they all work
with electricity. 
The
water is boiled gradually in the large reservoir, there
is a central tube in the middle
that will
carry the steam and the teapot is place on top of this
tube and the steam brews the tea slowly. Tealeaves are
used and tea bags are not popular. Two or more teaspoons
of tealeaves will be put in the pot depending on how
many teacups are required. Then the pot is 1/3 to 1/4
filled
with boiling water from the reservoir through a small
tap. The tea is brewed for 10 to 15 minutes. This tea
is very
strong and highly concentrated. Only a small amount will
be poured in the cups and the rest of the cup will be
filled with boiling water from the reservoir. The tea
that is
brewed longer is spoiled and becomes too strong.
Tea is
grown in Iran and is also imported from India. The good
quality tealeaves have a unique taste and perfume
that is accented by brewing and steaming slowly using
a samovar. Sometimes two different kinds of tea will
be mixed
to get the best taste and perfume. Darjeeling tea, Jahan
tea from Iran and India and recently Ahmed tea from India
are popular ones, however there are many other varieties
available. Many Iranians have got their electric samavars
and they can be bought from most Iranian or Russian stores.
If
buying a samavar you must make sure that the inside of
the reservoir is not copper or lead. There is a possibility
of lead or copper poisoning in such cases. There are
very good quality samavars made in Iran and Japan and
many Iranian
stores sell them.
Most modern samavars are made from stainless
steal and are very safe. There are decorative ones made
in Iran that
is gold or silver-plated from the outside. Always check
the inside to make sure they are properly sealed if you
are going to use them. They are dangerous items to have
around children, since they contain large quantities
of boiling water and are normally placed on a table.
Many Iranians
have replaced them by specially designed kettles with
a tap for boiling hot water. They place these
on stovetops to bring the water to boil and place the
teapot on the top like a regular samavar. These are always
used
in the kitchens but make sure children do not have access
to them. The tea is drank with sugar or other sweets
and is the most popular drink in Iran. The teacups used
in
Iran are similar to many used in Turkey and other Middle
Eastern countries. They are like small glasses with a
saucer and might not have a handle. This makes it difficult
for
people who are not used to the. Milk is usually not added
to afternoon tea and people may like them strong or weak
depending
on their taste. Tea in Iran is most always consumed with
sweets, and pastries. These can be anything as simple
as a lump of sugar, or a variety of Persian Baghlava,
cookies,
shirini, and other sweet desserts.
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Sharbat-e Albaloo (Sour Cherry Syrup)
This sour cherry fruit syrup is prepared well in advance.
After the syrup is made, you can pour it into a bottle
and keep it at room temperature as long as the bottle is
sealed. When the bottle is opened, it should be refregerated.
When a guest comes to your home, then you pour a few tablespoons
of the syrup into a glass plus water and ice. The amount
of syrup poured may be adjusted based on desired sweetness.
You may also use the syrup as topping for ice cream or
other frozen desserts. This drink has a unique flavor of
tart but yet sweet.
Ingredients:
2 pounds sugar
2-3 cups water
1 pound sour cherries
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Use only a porcelain
or enamel pan. Boil the sugar and water together for
15 to
20 minutes. Add the sour cherries and boil gently another
20 to 30 minutes, or until the syrup thickens.) Strain
the liquid into a bowl through a cheesecloth, squeezing
the cherries to extract all of the liquid. Add the vanilla
extract. Bottle.
To serve, add water and ice. Dried sour cherries may be
used instead of fresh ones. They should be soaked in cold
water 6 hours or longer.
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Sharbat-e Leemoo - Lime Sherbet
Ingredients: (4-6 servings)
sugar, 1500 grams
fresh lime juice, one cup
grated lime peel, one spoonful
Directions:
Add sugar to 3 glasses of hot water and bring to a boil.
Continue until the mix becomes thicker. Add lime juice
and grated lime peel, mix well, and boil for another 2-3
minutes. Allow to cool down, then leave in the refrigerator
until cold. Add cold water as desired when serving.
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Sharbat-e Portaghal - Orange Sherbet
Ingredients: (4-6 servings)
sugar, 1500 grams
fresh orange juice, 3 glasses
grated orange peel, one spoonful
Directions:
Add sugar to one glass of hot water. Add orange juice,
and bring to a boil. Continue until the mix becomes thicker.
Add grated orange peel, and boil for another 2-3 minutes.
Allow to cool down, then leave in the refrigerator until
cold. Add cold water as desired when serving.
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Persian Café Glacé-
Iced Coffee
This drink has been imported
to Iran from France but is an all time favorite. It is
served in coffeeshops all over town and is considered as
much a part of Persian culture as tea or pistachios.
Ingredients: (2 servings)
1 cup stong brewed coffee
1.5 cup cold milk
1 teaspoon sugar
4 scoops of vanilla or coffee ice cream
whipped cream (optional)
chocolate dust/cocoa
Directions:
Boil sugar and milk and remove from heat.
Add coffee, stir well and allow to cool. You may chill
in the refrigrator for an hour. Prior to serving, pout
the mixture into a tall glass filling it halfway. Place
2 scoops of ice cream on top and serve with long spoon
and straw. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate dust
as desired.
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Doogh - Refreshing Yoghurt Drink
Ingredients: (4 servings)
yogurt, one glass
carbonated (fizzy) mineral water, 2-3 glasses
dried mint, one teaspoon
dried pennyroyal, one teaspoon (optional)
salt and pepper (optional)
Directions:
Beat yogurt until it flows smoothly.
Add mint, pennyroyal, salt, and black pepper, and mix
well. Add mineral water
to yogurt gradually and mix as you add. The quantity
of mineral water can be adjusted to obtain the desired
density.
Place in the frig for a few hours. Mix again before drinking.
Carbonated doogh is a popular soft-drink in Iran.
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Heavenly
Persian Pomtini - A Light & Delicious Pomegranate
Martini
Ingredients:
1/2 part Pomegranate juice
1 part Vodka
1 part Orange juice, 7-up or Ginger ale
Lime for garnish
ICE
1 Fresh Pomegranate for garnish
Directions:
Summer is here and what better
drink to serve your guests than the Persian Pomtini. The
Pomegranate fruit is a staple in Iranian cuisine. Add a
good Russian Vodka and you have a hip and delicious
drink for your summer guests. When serving these
drinks, tell your guests about the two cultures that share
tea, caviar
and a lengthy border. From LA to Paris,
the Persian Pomtini has
fast become this year's hit drink. It is the
perfect marriage of the heavenly pomegranates' tart
taste and the sweet nectar of ice-cold Vodka.
To make the Persian Pomtini,
mix the ice, pomegranate juice and vodka. After shaking
in
a martini shaker, add the Ginger Ale. Garnish with
a lime wheel and serve
in a cool martini glass. You may also freeze seeds from
one pomegranate and drop a few into the martini glass as
garnish. For a sweeter version of the Pomtini, use vanilla-flavored
vodka. We recommend using Belvedere Vodka, and
Pom Juice for the Persian Pomtini. Bottom's Up and have
a great summer.
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Pom Royale - Pomegranate Champagne
Cocktail
Ingredients:
1/2 part Pomegranate juice
French Champagne
Orange for garnish
Directions:
Pour Champange into a champage
glass or chilled flute. Add 1/2 part of pomegranate juice
and garnish with
an orange whell. Serve at cocktail party or as an elegant
aperitif before dinner.
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