Iran, Summer 2016: Nuts and More Nuts

My mother and I visited a dry fruits and nuts store yesterday. The place was heavenly.

Somehow, Mom and I had the same color scheme in mind! Totally accidental!

Before I write any more, I need to explain the importance of dry fruits and nuts. Snacking on dry fruits and nuts is very common in Iran and is a traditional way of rebooting one’s energy during the day. Walking around the city, one notices people munching away from a bag of nuts and dry fruits as they walk, drive, or use their phones!

Dried Fruit and Nut Store. Photo: S. Ardalan

Engraved Containers. Photo: S. Ardalan

So my mother and I headed over to the dry fruit and nut store in the neighborhood which has exceptional products. Dates, figs, raisins, berberis, mulberries, prunes, apricots, olives, sunflower seeds, melon seeds, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts were on display in a variety of different mixes. While the arrangements of the dry fruits and nuts were aesthetically pleasing, the containers holding them were unique. Made of copper, each one was designed with intricate traditional Persian engravings.

Dried Fruits are Sold in Pre-Sealed Bags. Photo: S. Ardalan

People usually tell me Iran is nothing but a desert- a big desert. They don’t realize that agriculture has a deep-rooted history in Iran. Around 10,000 BC the earliest known domestication of the goat had taken place in the Iranian plateau. So obviously, Iran must be more than just a big desert!

Goat Herder in Iran. Photo: http://minkmachine.reine.se/about/

There are two huge deserts in the center of the country, but still, about one-third of Iran’s surface is suited for farmland. In total, 39% of the country is covered by deserts, salt flats, and bare, rocky mountains with an additional 7% covered by woodlands. In general, one third of Iran’s total surface is suited for farmland, but only 12% of that is under cultivation through plowing, orchards, and vineyards using both irrigated farming and rain-fed methods.

So how are these farms, orchards, and vineyards watered? Given the low supply of rain and rivers, farmers in Iran developed an irrigation method going back to the time of the Medes and Persians. Remember them? (Hint: Check out my first post.) Called a Qanat, these subterranean aqueducts were one of the most significant and superbly engineered methods of transporting water from water-rich areas to hot and arid farmland. Although used in many parts of the Middle East, the system was developed in ancient Iran. Qanats deserve a full, dedicated post, so more about them later.

For further reading, you can visit this excellent webpage:

http://www.livius.org/articles/misc/qanat/

The Engineering of the Qanat. Photo: http://www.livius.org/articles/misc/qanat/

Aerial View of a Qanat. Photo: http://www.livius.org/articles/misc/qanat/

The north and northwestern parts of the country have the best fertile soils, but the wide range of temperature fluctuation in different parts of the country allow for the cultivation of a divers variety of crops.

A Pistachio Orchard in Kerman, Iran. Photo: http://www.iranianpistachio.com/pistachio.php

Pistachio Worker in Kerman. Photo: http://irantraders.net/en/?attachment_id=2886

Iran is the world’s largest exporter of pistachio, yet pistachios are the third biggest export from Iran, falling behind oil and carpets! Native to Iran, farmers continue to cultivate pistachios in the thousand-year old tradition. Pistachios were shipped from Iran to Italy and eventually spread to other Mediterranean countries and the rest of the world. The most popular pistachio in Iran is the roasted kind, flavored with salt and lemon/lime.

A Pistachio Cleaning Terminal at an Orchard. Photo: http://www.iranianpistachio.com/pistachio.php

Saffron is a common ingredient in Iranian cuisine. Iran is the largest producer of saffron in the world with 93.7% of the world’s total production. It is the most expensive item, per gram/oz, in the supermarket... or so I was told. It has a rich red color and provides a fantastic taste and aroma to the food. It also has excellent medicinal properties- it is an anti oxidant and nerve relaxer. Saffron is the dried threads of the flower of the crocus plant.