The Saffron Tales (Yasmin Khan)

Armed with little more than a notebook and a bottle of pomegranate molasses, and fueled by memories of her family’s farm in the lush seaside province of Gilan, British-Iranian cook Yasmin Khan traversed Iran in search of the most delicious recipes.

Her quest took her from the snowy mountains of Tabriz to the cosmopolitan cafés of Tehran and the pomegranate orchards of Isfahan, where she was welcomed into the homes of artists, farmers, electricians, and teachers. Through her travels, she gained unique insight into the culinary secrets of the Persian kitchen, and the lives of ordinary Iranians today.

In The Saffron Tales, Yasmin weaves together stories from Iranian home kitchens with photography and fragrant, modern recipes rooted in the rich tradition of Persian cooking. Fully accessible to the home cook, Yasmin’s recipes range from the inimitable fesenjoon (chicken with walnuts and pomegranates) to kofte berenji (lamb meatballs stuffed with prunes and barberries). She offers a wealth of vegetarian dishes, including tahcheen (baked saffron and aubergine rice) and domaj (mixed herb, flatbread, and feta salad), as well as sumptuous desserts like rose and almond cake, and sour cherry and dark chocolate cookies.

With stunning photography from all corners of Iran and gorgeous recipe images, this lavish cookbook rejoices in the land, life, flavors, and food of an enigmatic and beautiful country.