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Locals Welcome Season 1 Episode 8
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Short filmTranscript
00:00A classic ingredient from one of the oldest cuisines in the world.
00:18Wow. Perfect.
00:23The pomegranate is an ancient symbol of abundance and prosperity.
00:27The jewel on the rich table of Iranian hospitality.
00:32I'm Suresh Das.
00:34I've spent my career writing about the local favorites that make Canada's food scene truly unique.
00:39I believe every bite tells a story.
00:42Now, I want to share those stories with you.
00:50A wonderfully vibrant cuisine.
00:52The most generous people you'll ever meet.
00:55And a devotion to lavish celebrations.
00:58This is Iranian culture to me.
01:00Many families left their country during the 1979 revolution.
01:06Others came here during the war with Iraq and the deepening conflict with the West.
01:12And many settled here in Toronto.
01:15Toronto has one of the largest Iranian populations outside of Iran.
01:20I would say probably second to maybe Los Angeles.
01:23And a good portion set roots here in North York on Yonge Street.
01:27The epicenter is still at Yonge, just south of Steele.
01:31If you look left and right, you see Farsi everywhere.
01:33You see Arabic everywhere.
01:34And colloquially, I mean, I think it's pretty cool that Iranians refer to this part of Toronto as Tehranto.
01:41For Iranians, food is deeply tied to the custom of elaborate hospitality.
01:51The Persian Empire was at the heart of the legendary Silk Road trading routes for spices and countless luxuries.
01:58Hosting guests with the very best not only showed respect, it helped grease the wheels of trade.
02:08I'm meeting a good friend to explore those traditions.
02:12With a meal that goes back thousands of years.
02:15At a restaurant named Bar Asafid, where a feast is created from the humblest parts of an animal.
02:22Hey! How's it going?
02:26I've known Samira Moyadeen forever, as an Iranian restaurateur, journalist and food podcast host.
02:32Are you an eye man? Are you a brain man? Are you a tongue man?
02:37Shall we just do everything?
02:39Last time that we had lunch, you made me eat like lamb testicles.
02:42Yes.
02:43So I'm game for whatever you want to do.
02:45The full kalapache.
02:46Yeah.
02:47Let's go for it.
02:51Samira and I have done a lot of adventurous eating together over the years.
02:54But we've never shared this dish.
02:56Kalapache.
02:58Which translates to head and hoof.
03:00It uses the off-cuts of the lamb to create a meal of broth and meat.
03:07Because prepping and cooking the lamb is so labor-intensive, some restaurants will only specialize in kalapache.
03:15In morning time, we start around 5, 5 o'clock.
03:21This person says at least we need 7 to 8 hours.
03:25Chef Amir Khalawaipur came to Canada 20 years ago, bringing his family secrets for preparing this ancient dish.
03:344,000 years ago, the Persian people eat kalapache.
03:40My father, he was a very good chef.
03:44And I follow my father's recipe.
03:51Here we go.
03:52Brilliant.
03:53We've got the lime.
03:56That's our broth.
03:57This is the lamb broth.
03:58That's their homemade bread.
04:00Two types of bread here.
04:02Oh, my goodness.
04:04Okay.
04:05That's sangak.
04:06Wow.
04:07We can fight over that tongue.
04:09I mean, there's this prevailing notion that in certain parts of the world, you have to consume every part of whatever you are eating.
04:17And so kalapache is the idea of, like, consuming the whole animal.
04:21Absolutely.
04:22It really goes back to that not wasting the animal.
04:24And it's not a fad for us, right?
04:26Head to toe.
04:28This is the meat from the face and the head.
04:33Yeah.
04:34Take some of this.
04:36Put it on your bread.
04:38And then do you dress it afterwards?
04:40You can put some pickled stuff on it.
04:42Okay.
04:43Squeeze the lime.
04:44Okay.
04:48Mmm.
04:49This is probably my favorite part of the dish.
04:53But this is lamb tongue.
04:54Very different from cow tongue, of course.
04:56I mean, it's so soft.
04:57You can feel that it's soft.
04:58So soft.
04:59Yeah.
05:00Really well done.
05:01So that tongue really kind of dissolves in your mouth for me.
05:04It's cooked, like, just perfectly.
05:06So there's one more thing we have to try.
05:08The eyeballs.
05:09Here's an eye for you.
05:11An eye for an eye.
05:14Like eating properly cooked cod cheeks is what it reminds me of.
05:18Cod cheeks.
05:19That's it.
05:20It's not that if you served that to someone and didn't tell them what it is, they'd just
05:22be like, this is amazing.
05:23Oh, yeah.
05:24Yes, absolutely.
05:25Making the meal is time consuming.
05:27And when made at home, almost always shared with guests.
05:31This is a very difficult dish to make for it to be good.
05:36And whenever it was made at home, it was like a big deal.
05:40Like, we are doing this and like 20, 30 people are coming over.
05:44It's like a celebratory thing.
05:45Oh, huge.
05:46Yeah.
05:47But it's not something you cook for like a family of four.
05:49Right.
05:50Right.
05:51Generally, you would have a little bit of garlic.
05:54I brought you some garlic.
05:55You brought your own garlic.
05:56So this garlic, I like to call black gold.
06:00Pickled condiments are a key part of Calapacha, especially garlic, brined in vinegar and kept
06:06for many years.
06:07This was made by my grandmother before she passed.
06:13This one is 12 or 13 years old.
06:16Now, this is just in a little bit of salt.
06:18It's black.
06:19And vinegar.
06:20Just smell that.
06:21Whoa.
06:22You're getting a lot of herbal-y notes, but also medicinal notes as well.
06:25Yeah.
06:26Taste this and it's almost like fruit.
06:28Like fruit, yeah.
06:29It's just unbelievable.
06:30That reminds me of pomegranate molasses.
06:39Yes, exactly.
06:43Most of my Iranian Persian friends, they always talk about the idea of like, they've left a
06:48place that they maybe didn't want to leave and they can't go back.
06:51So how important is it is in your culture and within your family to be able to preserve,
06:56you know, the cuisine and culture?
06:58Sometimes food is the only connection you have to the homeland, right?
07:03So you try and preserve those things, recipes or stuff like that.
07:07I mean, right now this is all I have of, you know, my grandmother, other than like photos
07:12or whatever.
07:13So I do hoard it in that way.
07:15You know, I really, every time I eat it, I think of her.
07:18Well, I just got a taste of that history.
07:20Thank you for sharing that.
07:32When you pass Fitch on Yonge Street, the world changes from a culinary and language standpoint.
07:38I remember when I was in my 20s coming here and being introduced to the idea of Toronto.
07:44It's this condensed neighborhood that is filled with Iranian businesses.
07:49It all kind of really started with two supermarkets.
07:52We're going to go to one of them, my favorite place, Korak.
07:57Korak is one of the foundations of the Tehranto community.
08:00Expanding from a tiny convenience store in 1989 to a one-stop mega shop of Iranian delights.
08:11Looks pretty amazing for Nourouz right now.
08:13Beautiful store.
08:14I'm joined by Barbo Tsudi, a chef who's sharing his expertise in the diverse flavors that are key to his culture's hospitality.
08:25With 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.
08:36Korak's aisles are packed with ingredients that are hard to find at other stores.
08:40This is a very important ingredient to Iranian cooking.
08:43So it's dried limes that are dried in the sun.
08:45A lot of the stews that we eat are based off of this flavor profile.
08:49Yeah, because you reconstitute them in stews.
08:51Exactly.
08:52So here we have kash.
08:53It's a fermented way.
08:54These are the kind of ingredients that give our cuisine distinction and that are just really the flavor profiles of our cuisines.
09:02But I think the crown jewel of Korak is its bakery.
09:10In Iranian culture, sharing bread is an important act of hospitality that goes back centuries.
09:15Sangak is an unleavened flatbread that was originally baked on small stones over an open fire.
09:24At 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.
09:38All right, what do you think? Grab a couple of loaves?
09:43Please.
09:46Oh, don't roll it.
09:47Oh, you can't roll it.
09:48Why?
09:49You got to leave it whole because you want to keep the integrity of the bread.
09:52Slide it in.
09:54Oh, nice.
09:55And generally just for transportation purposes, you would do one fold.
09:58A trip to grab some traditional dips and spreads from the hot counter and the rest of our lunch is complete.
10:09All right.
10:11Here we go.
10:12This is the nice spread.
10:16Iranian food is all about laying out a variety of dishes, even if the occasion is casual.
10:22I'll have the bread.
10:23I'll put a little piece of this, a little piece of that, and make a little bite, a perfect bite.
10:27And every bite is different.
10:28It's all about the spread.
10:29Yeah, it's all about the spread.
10:30There's a stew of dried lime and fava beans, dips of yogurt with cucumber and beets,
10:37and the luxuriant blend of fermented whey, eggplant, and walnuts that is Kashka Baramjan.
10:43The Kashka Baramjan is always, like, favorite.
10:46Mm-hmm.
10:47I love it.
10:48But for Iranians, rice dishes are the pinnacle of any meal.
10:56There's so many varieties of rices from different regions.
10:59It has to be the most important thing at the table.
11:02And Shirin Pola, a dish that can be traced to opulent royal feasts, is a standout.
11:07So this has orange marmalade, carrots, pistachios, sometimes almonds, saffron.
11:13So just playing into that sweet and sour.
11:18The saffron lingers over and over.
11:20It's delicious.
11:21No matter how much formal training I've had in the kitchen, it took me a long time to be able to cook rice as close to my mom as possible.
11:28I mean, moms and grandmas don't always measure things, too.
11:31No, never.
11:32And they're cooking by feeling.
11:33It's almost like when you ask, how much water do you put in with your rice?
11:36And they go like this.
11:37Yeah, yeah.
11:38Right?
11:39This is the measurement.
11:40This is the measuring cup right here.
11:41My mom is like this.
11:42She'll point her finger down.
11:43Yeah.
11:44Before you knew you wanted to be a chef, growing up, where did you draw inspiration from?
11:54Part of the inspiration was really my mom, Sima.
11:59Every night for dinner, coming home, there would be the smell of rice on the stove.
12:04Her providing those memories and those experiences at the dining table through her cooking, that has come almost full circle to me.
12:14It sounds like tradition is such an important thing for you.
12:17You can never take nostalgia off your back.
12:19No.
12:20Wow.
12:21Yeah.
12:22That's who you are.
12:23That's who you are.
12:24That's who you are.
12:34While Korok is the iconic one-stop shop for Iranian food in Tehran.
12:39There are smaller specialty purveyors that offer wonderful windows into the tradition of lavish Iranian hospitality.
12:49It's good to see you, man.
12:50You as well.
12:51And my old friend Samar Bar, who immigrated from Iran in his late teens, has a unique way to explore them.
12:57This is what you're known for, right?
13:00You run basically cycling tours with food as a key component of it, which is amazing.
13:05My two loves, two passions.
13:07Yeah.
13:08Food and cycling, and just building community.
13:10Yeah.
13:11Today, we're in the northern reaches of Tehran, in Richmond Hill.
13:14Iran's proximity to India and the sugar trade help foster a love for sweets and tea.
13:20So Sam wants me to experience the traditional tea service and luxurious pastries that are our specialty at BB Cafe.
13:37Hi.
13:38Hi, Parisa.
13:39Hi, Parisa.
13:40Hey, Suresh.
13:41How are you doing?
13:42All right, so, Parisa, definitely some Zulbia.
13:43Your special type.
13:44Yes, the black sesame.
13:45Yeah.
13:46My dad created that recipe, so it's a must-have here.
13:48Amazing.
13:49And some tea?
13:50Yeah.
13:51Oh, fantastic, yeah.
13:52We start with the Zulbia.
13:54Crispy spirals of deep-fried dough, bathed in rose water and cardamom syrup.
13:59We get owner, Parisa Najad, to add some house-made cookies.
14:06So I'm going to start you guys off with some shawapasi tea.
14:10We'll get that lit.
14:12This is definitely a traditional way to serve the tea.
14:16Good.
14:18Enjoy.
14:19Don't mind me.
14:20Oh, yeah.
14:21Look at that.
14:22Nice, rich color.
14:23Whoa.
14:24Yeah.
14:25Ah, you can already smell it.
14:27Yeah.
14:28Yeah, totally.
14:29Right?
14:30Yeah.
14:31A lot of sweets that we saw in the display downstairs earlier, it's a lot of the stuff that the grandmas
14:36would make.
14:37And most of the time it comes with tea.
14:38So you're having tea at breakfast.
14:39So you're having tea at breakfast, tea after lunch, tea in the afternoon, tea after dinner.
14:48And if there are guests there, then, you know, there is a couple of more rounds of it, too.
14:55So by the end of the day, it could be like six, seven cups of tea in.
14:58Wow.
14:59And if there's a party, there's a lot of sweets going around.
15:02I love it.
15:03Enjoy.
15:04Oh, that's lovely.
15:05I got to dive in straight for the Zubia because I've been missing it.
15:07Absolutely.
15:08I haven't had it in some time.
15:09Absolutely.
15:10So you want to just crack a piece of it?
15:11Let's do it.
15:12Oh, yeah.
15:13Perfect.
15:14Cheers.
15:15Cheers.
15:16Oh, yeah, man.
15:18It's just so good.
15:20Super crispy but not too crispy.
15:22Super crispy.
15:23Doesn't flake off.
15:24The right texture.
15:25The black sesame seeds really add a nice little pop to it.
15:28You can tell it's not as sweet as your typical Zubias.
15:32Yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:33So this is very special.
15:35There's such a sense of like, I don't know, like opulence when it comes to Iranian food
15:40and culture in general.
15:41We care about the aesthetics.
15:42It's not just the taste, but it has to look good to be a great host.
15:46You want to impress.
15:47Right.
15:48Right.
15:49So it has to be the best quality.
15:50And it's how people talk about you.
15:52So you want to make sure it's not just the taste, but it's also optics.
15:56Right.
15:57But at the end of the day, hospitality and food is who we are.
16:01So we always want to share the best with you.
16:03That's how we show love.
16:04Right.
16:05Okay, okay, okay.
16:06And what better way to share the best with your guests than a celebration?
16:12Well, thank you, sir.
16:13Thank you, sir.
16:18That's what's up for your guests.
16:19The first time it is what's up for you.
16:21They're talking about the Matthau.
16:22This is the right.
16:23You are the right.
16:24You are the right.
16:25This is how you're the right who's left.
16:26Now in the future, it's not good.
16:27with the spring equinox.
16:29These flames symbolize rebirth in the spring's new light.
16:41It's the celebration of Nouruz, meaning new day.
16:48And this ritual of jumping over fire
16:50marks its official beginning.
16:53Samira, her sister Salome, and her brother, Amir,
16:59have convinced me to leap along with them
17:01right into the festivities.
17:06Oh, wow.
17:08This is going to be epic.
17:09A fizzy pomegranate drink, the perfect way to begin this Nouruz feast.
17:15Oh, wow.
17:19Salome.
17:21Salome.
17:23My dear friend, Samira Moyadeen, has invited me to share in the most extravagant of Iranian
17:27celebrations.
17:28With a seat at her family's table for Iranian New Year.
17:34And we're at a particularly well-named restaurant.
17:38What is a typical Nouruz at home for you guys?
17:40Our Nouruz time always changes.
17:42With the vernal equinox, right?
17:43So in our house, we always make sure that we get up, no matter what time that vernal equinox
17:49happens.
17:50And then if it's like 4 in the morning, we kiss each other, we say Happy New Year, we go
17:53back to bed.
17:54That's amazing.
17:55That's amazing.
17:56Yeah.
17:57Thank you, Pariba.
18:01Thank you, Pariba.
18:02Ashrashteh.
18:03A traditional Nouruz soup of noodles and beans and greens in a rich broth.
18:10Garnished with mint.
18:12A traditional Nouruz soup of noodles and beans and greens in a rich broth.
18:26Garnished with mint, fried onions, and kashk, or fermented whey.
18:37It's delicious.
18:38What is the significance, Amir, of the soup?
18:40The herbs are, for spring, vivifying the season.
18:45And then, like, the noodles represent prosperity.
18:49And you never break the noodles.
18:51You not break the noodles because that is not good for the New Year.
18:54You mean when you're eating it or when you're preparing it?
18:55When you're preparing it.
18:56When you're preparing it.
19:06This is my jam.
19:08Between courses, there's traditional dancing with some elaborate light effects.
19:14While classic Nouruz dishes come together in the kitchen.
19:17Torsh.
19:18Meat kebabs marinated in pomegranate molasses and walnuts.
19:26Kubideh.
19:27Ground lamb shaped around skewers, then grilled over an open fire.
19:31And tadig, rice infused with saffron.
19:44Oh, look.
19:46Beautiful.
19:47Wow.
19:48Mmm.
19:49Look at that.
19:50My goodness.
19:51A touch of sumac is typically added to bring vibrancy to the dish.
19:54You can put it on your rice, and it hits that sour note.
19:57Yeah, it adds a little sourness, which again, I'm a sour head, so I like love that little accent.
20:02Yeah.
20:03There seems to be like just a celebration of opulence, richness, and vibrancy, color.
20:08Things like look like they have life in them and hope and happiness.
20:14Spring.
20:15Spring.
20:16Spring.
20:17Everything's coming to life.
20:18Yeah.
20:19At the heart of it, it's really a celebration of nature.
20:22It's not really tied to a religion.
20:24That's why it's a national celebration.
20:27It's celebrated by all the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia.
20:31It goes back like four or five thousand years.
20:34What does it mean for the people of Iran that left Iran, whether they wanted to or not?
20:39How do you celebrate that?
20:41I think just something simple as the smell of your food.
20:45You see your own people around.
20:47I think that, in itself, brings us together.
20:50You try to hold on to these sort of markers of identity that you, you know, grab wherever you can.
20:57All of those things made us feel like we're still at home.
21:04That desire to share and savor the riches of their culture is at the heart of Iranian cuisine.
21:15The age-old tradition of elaborate and generous hospitality is one to celebrate not just once a year, but every day.
21:25Keeping this rich culture burning bright in Tehran.
21:29The time ofват
21:33By the time of feasting, music Vibe is the largest heritage of Spain's town, is one to participate within intereses, one to give us energy into Europe.
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21:40Living in Europe
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