Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-15
WHAT THEY EAT IN PERSIA.
The Good, Cheap Food az the Poor and
the Dainty Dishes Of the Wealthy.

Sheep are roasted whole In ovens and sole
bot by the slice. The Sleeps heads and
feet are boiled separately, and their
preparation and sale is a trade IN ITSELF
But the edible most in favor among
all classes in Persia is the kaoab
There are two varieties OF kaoao'
One is made from minced mutton,
which is chopped with few onions
into a paste fine as sausage meat, care
fully moulded over a skewer- toasted over
fierce charcoal fire, and sold and eaten
hot. This is the kabab Of the bazaar, the
delicacy of the lower classes.
Attn dinner hour (suuset) and at the
breakfast hour noon crowds surrount
the shops Of toe kabah sellers. Each man
carries his bread, which is usually ileXi-
hle loaf. two feet long, a foot vide and
half an inch thick. The customer wraps
his kabab. hot from the fire, IN his bread,
and either sits down and eats IT then and
there or takes the meal home TO his family.
In any case. a hot dinner of roast meat
can be obtained for from one penny to
threepence a head, for the price Of q single
skewer Of the steaming delicacy is bur a
halfpenny. Jars containing about half "A
pint of hot, strong and savory meat soup
are sold for a penny. These form the m
variable meal Of the Persian soldier, II he
can afford if. The meat is pounded and
served with the soup or eaten alterward
as separate plat.
But in Persia, as in the rest Of the East,
bread. rice or dates are the real tood-the
meat merely the sauce or bonnie boUche
Persians of all ages are very fond OF con
fectlOnery, and are constantly devourln-
sweets. These are generally pure au
good; but there Is little variety in color.
most Of them being white, and nearly all
are favored with lemon Juice.
The lower class j. r~t4u III eat several
pounds Of grapes CO.. "rs or aprlcots
fer meal; they ta as we eat APP
pies. Pomegrauafes Hl melons are in
great demand as food, and the melons,
which run to fourteen pounds in weight,
are very nutritious. CucumbeTs are
looked on as fruit, and are eaten in large
quantities by rich and poor. TLey are
not indigestible. Seven pounds weight
may be often had for a halfpenny. Grapes
in infinite variety and Of the most deli
ciOus kinds, from the huge long grape,
which measures two inches, to the tiny
sultana, sweet as honey to the taste.
The curds or mast is simply made by
adding a small portion Of the rennet or
else old curds to warmed milk; in few
hours it sets into a mass, the cream on
the top. Ii eaten the first day it is like
junket; if allowed to remain it becomes
sour, and will keep good any time. In
this sour state it is preferred, and is eaten
with honey, sugar or grape sugar. Eggs
boiled hard and dyed a gay color are
much eaten; from forty to fifty can be had
for Sd. These things, then, form the cheap
and varied diet Of the working classes.
Beef too, is eaten by them; never by the
Well-tO-dO.
The townspeople and the wealthy among
the Persians devote much attention 10
good living. Breakfast generally is a
comparatively light meal. but consists of
several plQtS Of VARYING merit, but always
served hot; il is taken about noon. At
about 5 O'Clock at night dinner is served.
Persian cookery is extravagant-partly
because the Persians are layishly hos
pItsble, partly because all house servants
are fed iron the leavings of the masters
table. Kababs Of another kind To those
We have described take the palm among
Persian dishes 70 the European taste.
probably because they are free from
grease. Small pieces Of lamb, the size Of
a walnut. are skewered on a slender rod
Of iron; two pieces Of lean and piece of
the delicate fat of the huge tail Of the ORR
entail sheep are put on alternately,
SOupcOR Of garlic or onion is added, and
the kabab is toasted over fierce ire and
handed hot; it is eaten with little salt
and a squeeze OF lemon.
Pillaws are merely boiled meat, veni-
son or fowls smothered 10 mountains of
rice. This rice is delicately boiled, and
little clarified butter is added. We fear
to say how much pillaw Persian will
consume. Tiny chickens, quails, pigeons,
doves and young partridges are handed
hot on the spit itself to each guest. Ex-
cept the partridge, game Is not much APP
preciated in Persia. The hare is not
eaten by the religious, and there are no
rabbits.
Fish is seldom seen, save on the sea-
coast. Entrees Of various kinds are
served. They are nearly always eaten
with boiled rice, which is served plain,
without butter, and termed cb1ldlg.
Among such entrees are the .fzzinjdhn,
which consists of a chicken, partridge or
lamb meat boiled to ra $, served hot with
a sauce OF pounded walnuts, pomegran-
ate juice and clarified butter. A similar
entree is made upon the same basis with
unripe grapes and butter: another with
stewed apricots and butter, or stewed
plums Of Bokhara and butter. All these
are eaten with large quantities of plain
boiled rice, seemingly very rich, yet In
combination with the rice they are TO the
Persian taste delicious, and Europeans
residing in Persia soon appreciate them.
Confectionery and pastry are consumed
in large quantities. Lambs a week old,
and weighing only a few pounds. are
roasted whole and stuffed with dates,
raisins, chestnuts, pistachios and al
mOnds. Ducks. tame or wild, are not
much liked. Sherbet, in large china
bowls, is always served at dinner. 1t
consists Of fruit syrups or eau SUcree; il
Is usually iced, and Is drunk from huge
wooden spoons. These are sometimes so
thin as TO be In parts transparent; they
are OF native manufacture and delicately
carved. They are often of great value
and the wealth Of a Persian is often shown
In the variety and value Of his wooden
sherbet spoons.
In its way, the Persian cuisine is as
scientific as that Of France. Everything
Is good and plentiful; there are no adul-
terations; the only fault rs on the side Of
profusiOn. The free use OF clarified but.
ter, il must be remembered, is TO enable
the partaker 20 swallow the rice which is
served with most dishes. Unlike the
Turk, the Persian never serves q dish that
Is nasty. We once saw a Turkish dish
which consisted Of aubergines stuffed
with garlic, stewed in oil, and eaten cold
10 had the rather appropriate name Of
''the Imam faintedV
Persian dinners are always preceded by
pipes (hubble-bubbles( Will tea and
sweets are handed around. Then servants
bring in long leathern sheet and place [
on the ground the guests take their seats
g. IA. 4.