TEHRAN – Iran’s Shole Zard has earned global recognition as the world’s best pudding, according to TasteAtlas — an international food guide website.

The sweet, deeply aromatic, and delicate-in-flavor Persian rice pudding is made with three distinct ingredients: saffron, cardamom, and rosewater.

Fırın Sütlaç from Turkey, Tembleque from Puerto Rico, and Khao Niao Mamuang (A coconut sticky rice with mango) from Thailand gained the second to fourth places respectively, ILNA reported on Wednesday.

Getting an elegant golden-yellow color from saffron threads, the pudding was traditionally served on special occasions like Ramadan and the mourning period for Imam Hossein’s (AS) martyrdom, which is distributed as a Nazri dish (free food during religious events). However, it is now cooked all year round.

A paradise for foodie travelers, Iran is where it’s not just food on the menu. Some believe that Iranian cuisine is itself a metaphor for the country: It’s savory, sweet, fragrant, and incredibly complex.

The Iranian cuisine delicately combines characteristics and peculiarities of Near and West Asia, India, and East Asia. Similarly, the Persians have influenced many cuisines as part of their policy of expansion.

How to make Persian saffron rice pudding?

The method is very simple yet a bit time-consuming. To make Shole Zard, you should let the uncooked rice soak in water for several hours.

Then put it on medium heat and let it bake until it gets mushy. This can take about an hour. If the water is fully evaporated, you can add water. Then add sugar, bloomed saffron, and butter and keep it on the heat. Stir frequently so the bottom parts won’t burn.

At this time, you can add water if the meal is very thick or you can let the excess water vaporize if it’s too watery. When the thickness is as you desire, add rosewater, and keep it on the heat for a few more minutes.

Add butter and rosewater. You can add almond slices and powdered cardamom at this step. Your meal is ready! You can garnish it with powdered cinnamon, rose petals, and nuts slices.

Notes

You can serve Persian saffron rice pudding, both cool and warm.

If you are using whole grains instead of broken rice, it needs more water to turn into the mushy form.

Make sure the rice is completely baked before adding the sugar, as sugar can slow the baking process.

You can have almond slices inside the pudding. For this, you can add soaked slices of almond at the same time as adding the rosewater.

Cardamom is also an optional choice. You can add powdered cardamom at the same time you add the saffron.

AFM