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00:00A classic ingredient from one of the oldest cuisines in the world.
00:13Wow.
00:16Perfect.
00:18The pomegranate is an ancient symbol of abundance and prosperity.
00:23The jewel on the rich table of Iranian hospitality.
00:27I'm Suresh Das.
00:28I've spent my career writing about the local favourites that make Canada's food scene truly unique.
00:34I believe every bite tells a story.
00:37Now, I want to share those stories with you.
00:45A wonderfully vibrant cuisine.
00:48The most generous people you'll ever meet.
00:50And a devotion to lavish celebrations.
00:53This is Iranian culture to me.
00:58Many families left their country during the 1979 revolution.
01:04Others came here during the war with Iraq and the deepening conflict with the West.
01:08And many settled here in Toronto.
01:11Toronto has one of the largest Iranian populations outside of Iran.
01:14I would say probably second to maybe Los Angeles.
01:18And a good portion set roots here in North York on Yonge Street.
01:22The epicenter is still at Yonge, just south of Steele.
01:26If you look left and right, you see Farsi everywhere, you see Arabic everywhere.
01:30And colloquially, I mean, I think it's pretty cool that Iranians refer to this part of Toronto as Tehranto.
01:37For Iranians, food is deeply tied to the custom of elaborate hospitality.
01:46The Persian Empire was at the heart of the legendary Silk Road trading routes for spices and countless luxuries.
01:53Hosting guests with the very best not only showed respect, it helped grease the wheels of trade.
01:58I'm meeting a good friend to explore those traditions, with a meal that goes back thousands of years.
02:09At a restaurant named Bar Asafid, where a feast is created from the humblest parts of an animal.
02:18Hey! How's it going?
02:20I've known Samira Moyadeen forever, as an Iranian restaurateur, journalist, and food podcast host.
02:28Are you an eye man? Are you a brain man? Are you a tongue man?
02:32Shall we just do everything?
02:34Last time that we had lunch, you made me eat, like, lamb testicles.
02:38So I'm game for whatever you want to do. The full kalapache.
02:42Let's go for it.
02:46Samira and I have done a lot of adventurous eating together over the years.
02:48But we've never shared this dish, kalapache, which translates to head and hoof.
02:55It uses the off-cuts of the lamb to create a meal of broth and meats.
03:01Because prepping and cooking the lamb is so labor-intensive, some restaurants will only specialize in kalapache.
03:11In morning time, we start around 5, 5 o'clock.
03:15This, per se, at least we need seven to eight toppers.
03:20Chef Amir Khalawaipur came to Canada 20 years ago, bringing his family secrets for preparing this ancient dish.
03:274,000 years ago, the Persian people eat kalapache too.
03:33My father, he was very good chef. And I follow my father's recipe.
03:41Here we go. Brilliant.
03:45Got the lime. That's our broth. This is the lamb broth. That's their homemade bread. Two types of bread here.
03:57Oh, my goodness. Okay.
04:00That's sangak. Wow.
04:02We can fight over that tongue.
04:03I mean, there's this prevailing notion that in certain parts of the world, you have to consume every part of whatever you are eating.
04:12And so kalapache is the idea of, like, consuming the whole animal.
04:16Absolutely. It really goes back to that not wasting the animal. And it's not a fad for us, right? Head to toe.
04:22This is the meat from the face and the head.
04:29Take some of this.
04:32Put it on your bread.
04:34And then do you dress it afterwards?
04:36You can put some pickled stuff on it.
04:38Squeeze a lime. Okay.
04:44This is probably my favorite part of the dish.
04:47But this is lamb tongue. Very different from cow tongue, of course.
04:51I mean, it's so soft. You can feel that it's soft.
04:52So soft. Yeah.
04:54Really well done.
04:56So that tongue that really kind of dissolves in your mouth for me is cooked, like, just perfectly.
05:01So there's one more thing we have to try.
05:03The eyeballs.
05:04Here's an eye for you.
05:06An eye for an eye.
05:09Like, eating properly cooked cod cheeks is what it reminds me of.
05:12Cod cheeks. That's it.
05:13I bet that if you served that to someone and didn't tell them what it is, they'd just be like, this is amazing.
05:18Yes, absolutely.
05:20Making the meal is time-consuming.
05:23And when made at home, almost always shared with guests.
05:26This is a very difficult dish to make for it to be good.
05:31And whenever it was made at home, it was like a big deal.
05:35Like, we are doing this and like 20, 30 people are coming over.
05:38It's like a celebratory thing.
05:39Oh, huge, yeah.
05:40But it's not something you cook for, like, a family of four.
05:44Right, right.
05:46Generally, you would have a little bit of garlic.
05:49I brought you some garlic.
05:50You brought your own garlic.
05:52So this garlic, I like to call black gold.
05:56Pickled condiments are a key part of Kalapacha, especially garlic, brined in vinegar and kept for many years.
06:02This was made by my grandmother before she passed.
06:08This one is 12 or 13 years old.
06:11Now, this is just in a little bit of salt.
06:13It is black.
06:14And vinegar.
06:15Just smell that.
06:17Whoa.
06:18You're getting a lot of herbal-y notes, but also medicinal notes as well.
06:21Yeah.
06:22Taste this and it's almost like fruit.
06:23Like fruit, yeah.
06:24It's just unbelievable.
06:25That reminds me of pomegranate molasses.
06:34Yes, exactly.
06:38Most of my Iranian Persian friends, they always talk about the idea of, like, they've left a place that they maybe didn't want to leave and they can't go back.
06:46So how important is it is in your culture and within your family to be able to preserve, you know, the cuisine and culture?
06:54Sometimes food is the only connection you have to the homeland, right?
06:58So you try and preserve those things, recipes or stuff like that.
07:02I mean, right now this is all I have, you know, my grandmother, other than, like, photos or whatever.
07:08So I do hoard it in that way, you know?
07:11I really, every time I eat it, I think of her.
07:13Well, I just got a taste of that history.
07:15Thank you for sharing that.
07:27When you pass Finch on Yonge Street, the world changes from a culinary and language standpoint.
07:33I remember when I was in my 20s coming here and being introduced to the idea of Toronto.
07:39It's this condensed neighborhood that is filled with Iranian businesses.
07:44And it all kind of really started with two supermarkets.
07:47We're going to go to one of them, my favorite place, Korak.
07:51Korak is one of the foundations of the Toronto community.
07:55Expanding from a tiny convenience store in 1989 to a one-stop mega shop of Iranian delights.
08:01Looks pretty amazing for Nourouz right now.
08:08Beautiful store.
08:09I'm joined by Barbo Tsudi, a chef who's sharing his expertise in the diverse flavors that are key to his culture's hospitality.
08:20With Iranian cuisine, we use a limited amount of spices, but we use a lot of different plays on sweet and sour to flavor our food.
08:28Korak's aisles are packed with ingredients that are hard to find at other stores.
08:35This is a very important ingredient to Iranian cooking.
08:38So it's dried limes that are dried in the sun.
08:40A lot of the stews that we eat are based off of this flavor profile.
08:44Yeah, because you reconstitute them in stews.
08:46Exactly.
08:47So here we have cash.
08:48It's a fermented whey.
08:49These are the kind of ingredients that give our cuisine distinction and that are just really the flavor profiles of our cuisines.
08:57But I think the crown jewel of Korak is its bakery.
09:05In Iranian culture, sharing bread is an important act of hospitality that goes back centuries.
09:12Sangak is an unleavened flatbread that was originally baked on small stones over an open fire.
09:18At Korak, to mimic that ancient technique, dough is flattened on a paddle, tossed onto a specially designed bed of hot stones, then baked until soft and chewy inside and crispy out.
09:32What do you think?
09:33Grab a couple of loaves?
09:34Please.
09:35Oh, don't roll it.
09:36Oh, you can't roll it.
09:37Why?
09:38You've got to leave it whole because you want to keep the integrity of the bread.
09:39Slide it in.
09:40Oh, nice.
09:41And generally just for transportation purposes, you would do one fold.
09:42A trip to grab some traditional dips and spreads from the hot counter and the rest of our lunch is complete.
09:49All right.
09:50All right.
09:51Here we go.
09:52This is a nice spread.
09:53Iranian food is all about laying out a variety of dishes, even if the occasion is casual.
09:58I'll have the bread.
09:59I'll put a little piece of this, a little piece that and make a little bite, a perfect bite.
10:05And every bite is different.
10:06It's all about the spread.
10:07Yeah, it's all about the spread.
10:08There is the stew of dried lime and fava beans.
10:12And, you know, this is a nice spread of the bread.
10:13There's a stew of dried lime and fava beans, and the rest of our lunch is complete.
10:16All right.
10:17Here we go.
10:18This is the nice spread.
10:19Iranian food is all about laying out a variety of dishes, even if the occasion is casual.
10:22I'll have the bread, I'll put a little piece of this, a little piece of that, and make a little bite, a perfect bite.
10:26fried lime and fava beans,
10:28dips of yogurt with cucumber and beets,
10:32and the luxuriant blend of fermented whey, eggplant,
10:35and walnuts that is kashqa baramjan.
10:38The kashqa baramjan is always, like, favorite.
10:41Mm-hmm. I love it.
10:43But for Iranians, rice dishes are the pinnacle of any meal.
10:51There's so many varieties of rices from different regions.
10:54It has to be the most important thing at the table.
10:57And Shirin Polar, a dish that can be traced
10:59to opulent royal feasts, is a standout.
11:02So this has orange marmalade, carrots, pistachios,
11:06sometimes almonds, saffron.
11:09So just playing into that sweet and sour.
11:13The saffron lingers over and over.
11:15It's delicious.
11:16No matter how much formal training I've had in the kitchen,
11:19it took me a long time to be able to cook rice
11:22as close to my mom as possible.
11:24I mean, moms and grandmas don't always measure things, too.
11:26No, never.
11:27And they're cooking by feeling.
11:28It's almost like when you ask,
11:29how much water do you put in with your rice,
11:31and they go like this.
11:31Yeah, yeah.
11:32Right? This is the measurement.
11:33This is the measuring cup right here.
11:35My mom is like this.
11:36She'll point her finger down.
11:37Yeah.
11:43Before you, like, knew you wanted to be a chef,
11:47growing up, where did you draw inspiration from?
11:50Part of the inspiration was really in my mom, Seema.
11:54Every night for dinner, coming home,
11:57there would be the smell of rice on the stove.
11:59Her providing those memories and those experiences
12:02at the dining table through her cooking,
12:05that has come almost full circle to me.
12:09It sounds like tradition is, like,
12:10such an important thing for you.
12:12You can never take nostalgia off your back.
12:13Wow. Yeah.
12:15That's who you are.
12:16That's who you are.
12:17That's who you are.
12:29While Korok is the iconic one-stop shop
12:31for Iranian food in Tehran,
12:33there are smaller specialty purveyors
12:36that offer wonderful windows
12:38into the tradition of lavish Iranian hospitality.
12:43It's good to see you, man.
12:45You as well.
12:46And my old friend Samar Bar,
12:48who immigrated from Iran in his late teens,
12:50has a unique way to explore them.
12:54This is what you're known for, right?
12:55You run, basically, cycling tours
12:57with food as a key component of it, which is amazing.
13:00My two loves, two passions.
13:02Yeah.
13:03Food and cycling and just building community.
13:05Yeah.
13:06Today, we're in the northern reaches of Tehrantho
13:08in Richmond Hill.
13:10Iran's proximity to India and the sugar trade
13:12help foster a love for sweets and tea.
13:16So Sam wants me to experience the traditional tea service
13:18and luxurious pastries that are our specialty at Bibi Cafe.
13:32Hi. Hi, Parisa.
13:33Hey, Sirosh.
13:34Hey, Sam. How you doing?
13:35All right, so, Parisa, definitely some Zulbia.
13:37Your special type.
13:38Yes, the black sesame.
13:40Yeah.
13:40My dad created that recipe, so it's a must-have here.
13:43Amazing.
13:43Yeah.
13:44Amazing.
13:44And some tea?
13:45Yeah.
13:45Oh, fantastic, yeah.
13:47We start with the Zulbia, crispy spirals of deep-fried dough
13:51bathed in rosewater and cardamom syrup.
13:53We get owner, Parisa Najad, to add some house-made cookies.
14:01So I'm going to start you guys off with some Swapasi tea.
14:05We'll get that lit.
14:06This is definitely a traditional way to serve the tea.
14:11Good. Thank you.
14:12Enjoy.
14:12Thank you so much.
14:16Don't mind, right?
14:17Oh, yeah.
14:17Look at that nice, rich color.
14:18Whoa.
14:19Yeah.
14:20Ah, you can already smell it.
14:22Yeah.
14:22Yeah, totally.
14:23Right?
14:23Yeah.
14:24A lot of sweets that we saw in the display downstairs earlier,
14:28it's a lot of the stuff that the grandmas would make.
14:31And most of the time, it comes with tea.
14:33So you're having tea at breakfast,
14:37tea after lunch, tea in the afternoon, tea after dinner.
14:43And if there are guests there, then, you know,
14:45there is a couple of more rounds of it, too.
14:49So by the end of the day, it could be like six, seven cups of tea in.
14:53Wow.
14:53And if there's a party, there's a lot of sweets going around.
14:56I love it.
14:57Enjoy.
14:57Oh, that's lovely.
15:00I got to dive in straight for the Zubia because I've been missing it.
15:02Absolutely.
15:02I haven't had it in some time.
15:04So you want to just, you know, crack a piece of it?
15:06Let's do it.
15:06Oh, yeah.
15:07Perfect.
15:07Cheers.
15:08Cheers.
15:10Oh, man.
15:13It's just so good.
15:15Super crispy, but not too crispy.
15:17Super crispy.
15:18Doesn't flake off.
15:18The right texture.
15:19The black sesame seeds really add nice little pop to it.
15:22Uh, you can, you can tell it's not as sweet as your, as your typical Zubias.
15:27Yeah, yeah.
15:28Um, so this is very special.
15:30There's such a sense of like, I don't know, like opulence when it comes to Iranian food and culture
15:35in general.
15:35We care about the aesthetics.
15:37It's not just the taste, but it has to look good to be a great host.
15:41You want to impress.
15:42Right.
15:43Right.
15:43So it has to be the best quality and it's how people talk about you.
15:47So you want to make sure it's, it's not just the taste, but it's also optics.
15:51Right.
15:52But at the end of the day, hospitality and food, it's who we are.
15:55So we always want to share the best with you.
15:57That's how we show love.
15:58Right.
15:59Okay, okay, okay.
16:00And what better way to share the best with your guests than a celebration?
16:10Passersby might be startled to see flames on the street, but these fires signal the most
16:16significant of Iranian holidays, Persian New Year, which begins with the spring equinox.
16:23These flames symbolize rebirth in the spring's new light.
16:36It's the celebration of Noruz, meaning new day.
16:41And this ritual of jumping over fire marks this official beginning.
16:48Samira, her sister Salome, and her brother Amir have convinced me to leap along with them,
16:56right into the festivities.
17:01Oh, wow.
17:02This is going to be epic.
17:11A fizzy pomegranate drink.
17:21The perfect way to begin this Noruz feast.
17:25Oh, wow.
17:30My dear friend, Samira Moyadeen has invited me to share in the most extravagant of Iranian celebrations.
17:36I love it.
17:38With a seat at her family's table for Iranian New Year.
17:42And we're at a particularly well-named restaurant.
17:47What is the typical Noruz at home for you guys?
17:50Our Noruz time always changes with the vernal equinox, right?
17:55So in our house, we always make sure that we get up no matter what time that vernal equinox happens.
18:01And then if it's like four in the morning, we kiss each other, we say Happy New Year, we go back to bed.
18:06That's amazing.
18:08Thank you, Pariba.
18:13A traditional Noruz soup of noodles and beans and greens in a rich broth.
18:21Garnish with mint, fried onions and kashk, or fermented whey.
18:31It's delicious.
18:33What is the significance, Samira, of the soup?
18:35The herbs are for spring, they're vivifying the season.
18:40And then like the noodles represent prosperity.
18:44And you never break the noodles.
18:46You not break the noodles, because that is not good for the New Year.
18:49You mean when you're eating it or when you're preparing it?
18:51When you're preparing it.
18:52It's my, this is my jam.
19:04Between courses, there's traditional dancing with some elaborate light effects.
19:10While classic Noruz dishes come together in the kitchen.
19:13Torsh, meat kebabs marinated in pomegranate molasses and walnuts.
19:18Torsh, meat kebabs marinated in pomegranate molasses.
19:21Kubidei, ground lamb shaped around skewers, then grilled over an open fire.
19:31And tadig, rice infused with saffron.
19:40Oh, look.
19:42Oh, wow.
19:44Look at that.
19:45My goodness.
19:46A touch of sumac is typically added to bring vibrancy to the dish.
19:50You can put it on your rice, and it hits that sour note.
19:53Yeah, it adds a little sourness, which again, I'm a sour head, so I like, love that little accent.
19:58There seems to be like, just a celebration of opulence, richness, and vibrancy, color.
20:07Things like, look like they have life in them, and hope, and happiness.
20:10Spring.
20:11All in them is spring.
20:12Spring, everything's coming to life.
20:13Yeah.
20:14At the heart of it, it's really a celebration of nature.
20:18It's not really tied to a religion.
20:20That's why it's a national celebration.
20:22It's celebrated by all the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia.
20:27It goes back like four or five thousand years.
20:30What does it mean for the people of Iran that left Iran, whether they wanted to or not?
20:35How do you celebrate that?
20:37I think just, um, something simple as the smell of your food.
20:41You see your own people around.
20:43I think that in itself brings us together.
20:46You try to hold on to these sort of markers of identity that you, you know, grab wherever you can.
20:53All of those things made us feel like we're still at home.
20:56That desire to share and savor the richness of their culture is at the heart of Iranian cuisine.
21:11The age-old tradition of elaborate and generous hospitality
21:15is one to celebrate not just once a year, but every day.
21:21Keeping this rich culture burning bright in Tehran.
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