Iranian food, like the country, is misunderstood, says cookbook author Yasmin Khan
- There’s more to Iran than kebabs, writes the British-Iranian author in her 2016 cookbook The Saffron Tales
When I told friends that I was going on holiday to Iran, those who had already been said I’d be tired of the food within a few days, and warned that I should pack plenty of instant noodles as an alternative to eating kebabs for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Reading The Saffron Tales (2016) made me wonder if they had visited the same country I was going to. In the introduction to the book, British-Iranian writer Yasmin Khan admits that the country her mother is from isn’t always understood by outsiders – and she’s not talking about just the cuisine.
“I was born in Croydon, south London, but my mother’s side of the family comes from the subtropical shores of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran. Growing up in 1980s Britain, I was always acutely aware of the gulf that existed between the Iran I knew and loved and the Iran depicted on the news […] With raised eyebrows, people would ask probing questions, fascinated to know how an independent Western woman such as myself could take so much pleasure in visiting a country fraught with controversy and turbulence.
“My answer was simple. I loved the exuberance, warm-heartedness, and affection of the Iranian people; I loved the dramatic mountains and dazzling scenery of Iran’s landscapes; and I loved the garlic- and herb-infused food that harmonised sweet and sour flavours so perfectly.”
The food she writes about is enticing.