Vol. 48 — Saffron, Herbs and the Golden Crust
Iran
From Tehran to Isfahan
Standfirst
Rice steamed grain by grain until a lacquered crust forms at the bottom of the pot. Herbs cooked down for hours until they turn almost black. Tea poured dark into small glasses, all afternoon. Iran cooks with patience, and calls it hospitality.
Chapter One
Balance before everything
Persian cooking is one of the world's oldest continuous cuisines, and it still moves at its own pace. Nothing is hurried: herbs are chopped by the bowlful, stews simmer until the lamb gives way, and rice is treated as a craft rather than a side dish.
Every dish is tuned. Dried limes and pomegranate molasses against walnuts and saffron, sour against sweet, fresh herbs against slow-cooked richness — the balance is the point, and it is what makes the table unmistakably Iranian.
The best part of the meal is scraped from the bottom of the pot, and everybody knows it.
— On tahdig
Chapter Two
Rice as a craft
Iranian rice is parboiled, drained and steamed until each grain stands separate and long. At the bottom of the pot a golden crust forms — tahdig — made from rice, bread or thin potato slices, and served as the most contested part of the meal.
From that one technique comes a whole family of dishes: sabzi polo with herbs and fish for Nowruz, zereshk polo studded with tart barberries, baghali polo with dill and broad beans, and tahchin baked into a saffron-yogurt cake that slices like a tart.
The Iran blanket — kebab, tahdig, ghormeh sabzi and chai drawn as one illustrated Persian table.
Chapter Three
Kitchen, wall and long afternoon
Pieces for people who keep saffron in the cupboard, argue over the tahdig, and always have the tea brewing.
Poster — Isfahan
Apron — Tehran
Blanket — Shiraz
Vol. 48 — Saffron, Herbs and the Golden Crust — the pieces
Shop the Iran pieces
Everything photographed in this issue that is currently in the studio.
Iran · Apron
Iran Food Apron
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Iran · Blanket
Iran Food Blanket
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Iran · Food poster
Iran Food Poster Black
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Iran · Food poster
Iran Food Poster II
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Iran · Food poster
Iran Food Poster III
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Iran · Food poster
Iran Food Poster Pink
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Iran · Food poster
Iran Food Poster White
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The Collection
The Iran Collection
Kebab koobideh, ghormeh sabzi, fesenjan, tahdig, zereshk polo and chai — the Persian table in one illustrated composition.
Keep exploring
Gifts & celebrations
Where Iran belongs
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