Persian Salad and Tea
in Monterey (California) – Part 2 - by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget
We
were the first customers of the day. (The first customers are supposed to bring
luck in the Middle East and Central Asia).
The
saleswoman showed us a samovar and some small glasses that Persians use to
drink tea. I wondered how they managed
to keep their hands from burning.
“Persians
will always offer you a cup of tea when you go to their homes,” the saleswoman
said.
She
continued by saying, “You never put milk or lemon in Persian tea.”
She
reached behind her and took out a plastic bag behind some cans. Inside the bag were 1-inch crystallized sugar
lozenges.
“In
Persia, they hold these sugar cubes between their teeth and sip the tea for
flavor,” she said.
I
bought pita bread, the tea, and bubble gum for Florence from the saleswoman.
At
home, the citrusy aroma from the tea made it taste even better. As we drank our tea, I showed Florence where
to find Persia, modern-day Iran on our family’s globe, which sat on the dining room
table.
“I
already know where that is. We are
studying ancient Persia at school,” said my know-it-all daughter who went to a
Montessori-Waldorf charter school in Pacific Grove.
“What
are you learning about? Carpet weaving? The Shamanah myth” I asked.
“All
that plus we’re learning about the philosopher Zarathustra, and how many myths
show about choosing between good and bad and what happens if you do not choose
the good path,” she said.
“We
have to spell Zarathustra for the spelling test,” she complained.
“I’ll
quiz you, “ I said.
(If
you have more than one child, children can quiz each other during dinner
prep. With only one child, you have to
stirfry, make salad, and spell check at the same time.)
I
made Salade Sabzi from Shaida’s cookbook The
Legendary Cuisine of Persia, which includes savory and tangy herbs like
mint, dill, and scallions. We incorrectly
put the salade sabzi in warm, pita pocket bread and thought it tasted great
with lemon-oil dressing.
By
Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Click here for: Ruth Paget's Amazon Books
Click here for: Ruth Paget's Amazon Books
