Nasim Alikhani struggles to hold back his tears. The chef of Sofreh, a well-known Iranian table in Brooklyn, has always stayed away from politics. But the courage of the demonstrators who have been rising since September in the country has pushed her to react, on her modest scale. Throughout the month of November, this outstanding cook made and offered her customers small balls of halva, an oriental confectionery whose Persian version is flavored with cardamom, a plant known to soften periods of mourning. “It took me three hours a day to do them, she reports, her throat tight. It’s a small symbolic gesture that has contributed to my inner peace. »
Nasim Alikhani participated in the CookForIran initiativelaunched by an Iranian-American tech entrepreneur, Layla Yarjani, before the insurgency entered its third month. “People eventually become desensitized to even the most terrible news and move on. But the movement must remain alive. defends the young entrepreneur. Layla Yarjani has persuaded some thirty Anglo-Saxon chefs to add who a dish, who an Iranian ingredient to their menu. By stimulating the palates, she thinks, we can raise awareness.
The memory of a taste or smell
If Layla Yarjani decided to use Iranian gastronomy in this way, it is because it is unlike any other. Of course, like all the cuisines of the world, it tells a culture, traditions and lives. But there are many exiles for whom the memory of a taste or a smell is the only thing they have left of Iran. It is also a way for these uprooted people to show their adopted countries the richness and sophistication of the culture of their native land.
CookForIran has not yet found a relay in France with restaurateurs. Iranian gastronomy remains unknown in France. In the Anglo-Saxon world, it was popularized by the famous Israeli chef based in London Yotam Ottolenghi, or by the essential Samin Nosrat, whose series Salt Fat Acid Heat is a hit on Netflix. Only Frenchman Akrame Benallal has put tahdig, crispy rice to die for, on the slate of Shirvan, one of his Parisian establishments.
The proof by Instagram. Type #cuisinepersane, and you will see a hundred photos, not always folichons. Try the experience with the English hashtag #persiancuisine. An orgy of tempting dishes suddenly invades the screen: mountain of saffron rice with cherries or broad beans, steaming aubergine or pomegranate stews, stewed and tender meats, frozen vermicelli and lemon entremets… “America was made by migrants, people are curious about gastronomy from elsewhere, while France is more conservative”, summarizes Nasim Alikhani.
You have 67.94% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.