I am puzzled (as Andrew would say). Why is there so much conflict, violence and intolerance in this region that is the cradle of our civilisation? It is for this very reason that Farideh (Fay) and her family sought refuge in Australia 33 years ago. Today there are just over 70,000 Iranians living in Australia. Fay met her American husband of 29 years (an award winning composer/concert jazz guitarist) in Cairns , and it is he who encouraged her to share her incredible flair with her native cuisine with the dining public of Brisbane. Zafron on Brunswick opened in 2007 and has established a reputation for quality, providing guests with a variety of Persian dishes - both traditional and some with a modern euro twist.
Although often lumped in the category Middle Eastern Cuisine, Iranian food stands apart when it comes to the unique ability to contrast flavours. They are particularly adept at balancing sweet and sour, using pomegranate syrup, dried limes and quinces to achieve the desired result. The Iranian meal is built around rice (bernej) - often a plate stacked with chelo (plain cooked rice) or polo (rice cooked with several ingredients) topped with vegetables, fish or meat. Herbs and spices like saffron, cinnamon and parsley add a refined definition to the flavours of Iran. Nuts, raisins, plums, apricots and yoghurt add texture, sweetness and balance to the often spicy toppings. There are over 40 different types of bread in Iran, from crisp to limp, and at least one type of bread will accompany every meal. Befarma'id!
Six of us had dinner (shaam) at Zafron in New Farm on Friday night. We started with two platters to share. The Persian Dip Platter: three dips( eggplant, garlic and tomato/ spinach yoghurt and pine nuts/ olives, walnuts and feta) served with fried lavash crisps and hot Turkish bread; and the Mediterranean Dip Platter (artichoke, fig, crushed almonds/ roasted capsicum, macadamia, yoghurt / and tahini with roasted garlic). These dips were all interesting, different and delicious. True to Friday-Night-Out Rules, we all had a different main: Andrew ordered the Fesenjan (stewed chicken pieces, slow-cooked with walnuts and pomegranate molasses, served with saffron rice and yoghurt); Jane really enjoyed her vegetarian tagine with a Moroccan touch; Keith had the
Khoresht–i-Shirazi ( Fay's own stew of authentic Persian Spices, potato, eggplant and carrots with yoghurt and crushed pistachios and cashews, served with Saffron Rice ); Boetie had the Chelo Kebab (traditional kebabs char-grilled over the in-house BBQ served with saffron rice, yoghurt and Shirazi salad); Nielen opted for the Khoresht-i-gormeh Sabzi (Persian stew of slow-cooked lamb, Borlotti beans, dried limes and blended herbs served with saffron rice and Mostakhiar yoghurt) and I absolutely loved my Polo ( a rice pilaf with almonds, raisins and bite-size meatballs served with Mostakhiar yoghurt). Jane and I concluded our meal with some Persian tea. All this while listening to soothing jazz guitar recorded by Fay's husband, Michael, playing as background music in the restaurant. I have to agree that the food is fundamentally different to the other Levantine cuisines that we have tasted. It definitely had an element of refinement which elevated the meal from its apparent basic ingredients into one of sophistication. A cuisine worthy of further investigation.
Jane had first go with facts on Friday ( seeing that she never had her say in Sri Lanka....) and came prepared with 65 of them! One of which is that the official name of Iran is the Islamic Republic of Iran. It became an Islamic republic in 1979 when the monarchy was overthrown and religious clerics assumed political power under the supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Andrew explained the qanat water supply system; Nielen turned our attention to the horrific air pollution in Teheran, and stated that on average 27 people die each day due to related causes. Keith expanded on another fact by Andrew, that all Persian rugs are purposely made with a defect. We talked quite a bit about Persian rugs, Iranian caviar and the Caspian Sea. Did you know that the Caspian Sea is situated at 28m below sea level (-28m), it is completely land locked, is endorheic (has no outflow), and is fed by over 130 rivers? And lastly Boetie analysed the flag: Known as the ‘Three Colour Flag’ ( green/white/red), the flag of Iran was officially adopted on July 29, 1980. To the bottom of the green band and top of the red band the takbir is written twenty-two times in the Kufic script. The takbir reads the phrase Allahu Akbar which translates into “God is greater than can be described.” The number twenty-two is significant as it refers to the Islamic Revolution that occurred on the twenty-second day of the eleventh month of the Iranian calendar.
It is always best to steer clear of discussing politics and religion over dinner, but with Iran it is impossible. Hopefully we'll be able to sidestep these topics in Cuba next week. With a coffee, cognac and cigar in hand, I somehow doubt it. Castro and cults may well be on the menu.........
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