Additionally, sweets such as Persian Baklava or Baslogh are very common items on Yalda night must-eat spread. Pomegranates are usually placed on the top of a fruit basket. On Yalda, eating a bowl of shiny ruby pomegranate arils is inevitable. Iranians believe those who eat summer fruits in the first night of winter will not get ill during the cold days. Moreover, Pomegranate symbolizes the cycle of life. Lets look into what Yalda means to Persians and the top 7 must eat food on Yalda night. شب یلدا Shab-e yalda (eve of yalda) is traditionally a night for friends and family to gather together to enjoy a delicious feast of seeded pomegranate, watermelon slices, ajil (nuts and dried fruits) and sweets, celebrating the victory of light over darkness. During the family festivities in celebration of Yalda in Iran, different provinces have several different recipes that may be influenced by popular culture or the palate of people. An Iranian/Australian food enthusiast, Melika Shahid is constantly exploring traditional and modern dining spots around the cities she visits. Persians, for centuries, have been celebrating Yalda night in Iran on the 21st of December. Add steeped saffron and rose water to the syrup, and let it cool down before pouring it on the rolls. One must eat a handful of dried fruits, seeds and nuts (collectively known as Ajeel in Persian) on Yalda night. So they celebrated Mithra’s birth and light’s triumph over the darkness of evil every year together. When the base, or Khagine, is ready, allow it to cool a little before spreading the date palm mixture onto the base with a spoon or spatula. شب یلدا Shab-e yalda (eve of yalda) is traditionally a night for friends and family to gather together to enjoy a delicious feast of seeded pomegranate, watermelon slices, ajil (nuts and dried fruits) and sweets, celebrating the victory of light over darkness. Persians’ longstanding love affair with sweet and ripened persimmon fruit becomes vividly evident on Yalda night. We have traditionally had Dolmeh as a must-eat food on Yalda night for dinner at my house. Yalda Night is an ancient Persian festival annually celebrated by Iranians /photo by Arash Moeini. Rev. The popular Yalda dinner in Iran’s northwestern region of Azarbaijan is Khashil, a mixture of bran-rich wheat flour, wheat groats, water, milk, honey and butter. Khagine Khorma, whose main ingredient is date palm, is the traditional and popular Yalda dinner in the city of Zanjan. This night is called Shab-e Yalda (Yalda night) and is the time between the last day of fall and the first day of winter. Ground Angelica is believed to balance the cold nature of pomegranate which could prevent bloating and discomfort in the stomach. Furthermore, some families have specific rituals of eating certain type of local Persian cuisine on this night. Pomegranate reminisces Yalda night for me. Well, this was a glimpse of the Yalda celebration in honor of the longest night of the year! ایده های شب یلدا، به همراه دسرها و غذاهای یلدا #شب-چله. Yalda dinner, a meal traditionally eaten at the winter solstice each December, forms a significant part of gatherings held to celebrate “Shab-e Yalda” (the longest night of the year) in Iran. Watermelon and pomegranate are the essential items of Yalda Night. Baslogh is a common yalda sweet, which is a soft starch-based candy infused with rosewater, ground cardamom, and saffron. Available at Arya Food Market and Eventyab.com Watermelon symbolises health and wellbeing. The Iranian-American Medical Association (IAMA) and the Iranian Cultural Foundation – Houston (ICF) are co-hosting a Shabeh Yalda dinner at Garson Restaurant on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 from 6:30-10:30 pm. Medlar (Azgil in Persian) is eaten when completely ripened and bletted, which is a similar process to rotting. That being so, a handful of Ajeel is considered as an offering in resolution of problems amongst Iranians. Yalda is celebrated on the northern hemisphere's longest night of the year. Often, Iranians serve a special type of sweets on traditional occasions. Yalda means birth and it refers to the birth of Mithra. In most parts of the country the extended family come together and enjoy a fine dinner. My family, like millions of Iranians, served Yalda goodies on a big, round tray atop a korsi, a traditional piece of Iranian furniture that consists of a low table with a source of heat underneath and blankets thrown over it, which people sit around all night. The main food of the Yalda evening is fruit. The main ingredients of the famous local cuisine are rice, kohlrabi, aromatic herbs, meatballs and pomegranate paste. If you are interested in traditional Iranian dishes, please check our Persian food page. It is not only a very light dinner option after having binged on all that flavoursome fruit and nuts but very hearty and satisfying. Yalda night sweets. Awkonoos is usually found until the next spring in nearly all houses of Gilan, so that the family members can enjoy the traditional food whenever they fancy a fresh, juicy, ripe common medlar fruit, eaten with salt and Persian hogweed. Your email address will not be published. I have always loved the sweet and sour taste of pomegranate arils in winter in Iran. "Yalda" in old Persian language (syriac) means birth. I make a point of celebrating this day and post a related recipe. Pomegranate is native to southwestern Asia, around the Caspian Sea, North of Iran. Taking Gifts to Newlyweds Iran eyes UNESCO tag for Yalda. Iranians start preparing for Yalda night celebrations in December. The Yalda night dinner can include local Persian food such as rice with fish (Sabzi Polo ba Mahi), barberry pilaf, pomegranate pilaf, cabbage pilaf Shirazi (Kalam Polo Shirazi), etc. Anar Polo (pomegranate and rice) is a fancy food usually served in soirees, including the Yalda Night, in the city of Qazvin. Reading poems from Divan-e-Hafiz (Fal-e Hafiz) is an entertaining tradition of Yalda Night. Photos by Melika Shahid and Shirin Tahanan, I wish I was at your house sima. Kalam Polo (cabbage and rice) is the traditional dish of Shiraz, an ancient city south of Iran. People on Yalda Night usually get together in the houses of grandparents and the elderly members of their families, where they are served with a hot dinner, fresh fruits and a mixture of dry fruits, seeds and nuts served in floral bowls. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Considered the longest night of the year, Yalda eve is the night when ancient Iranians celebrated the birth of Mithra, the goddess of light. Therefore Yalda night essentially celebrates the re-birth of sun and light. Some choose to cut the fruit in quarters and enjoy the sweet flesh with skin on.
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