Hello from my kitchen in Copenhagen,

This month, we focus on saffron. Joining me are Laila Ahsan and Nader Mehravari - each bringing their own expertise and connection to this valuable spice. Together, we are going to discuss what it takes to source and start a high-quality saffron business, explore its history, while we cook dishes infused with saffron. Nader will share how to properly store, steep and grind saffron. Join us for a lively knowledge-packed lab.

Warm regards, Birgitte

 

Saffron
May this year be golden like saffron
of all herbs and spices the sovereign
(it was said in a limerick
to the envy of turmeric)
and bring you much joy and no suffering

Poetry by Armen Davoudian. He is a PhD candidate in English at Stanford University. He grew up in Istafan, Iran and now lives in California.

Laila Ahsan: Born in Iran and raised in the UK, Laila has a background in Neuroscience. In the last few years she has set up a business (Attar Apothecary) bringing high quality saffron to specialist markets and fairs in London. With an emphasis on fair trade and traditional farming, the aim of Attar Apothecary is to bring pure ingredients directly from farmers to tables across Europe. Small batch production by single farmers means more of the processing is done by hand which keeps the quality high. It also allows for shorter supply chains and sustainable production. Most of the world’s saffron is produced in Iran, yet due to restrictions in access to global markets, the delivery of this prized spice is challenging. Attar aims to highlight the labour of love undertaken by farmers in Iran’s South Khorasan Province, the heartland of saffron cultivation.

 

Nader Mehravari: For over 40 years, Nader Mehravari has immersed himself in the practical culinary traditions of the people of Iran and the larger Persianate societies around the world, actively bringing those traditions to life in the kitchen while exploring their associated historical, cultural, and social dimensions. While mastering and recreating traditional Persian dishes in a typical modern western home kitchen, he has been carefully documenting the methods behind individual and categories of dishes. He is working towards an innovative Persian cookery book. A portion of Nader's paternal roots are in Birjand, a city in northeastern Iran, located in the heart of Iran's saffron-growing region, which introduced him to saffron from an early age. In his culinary endeavors involving saffron, Nader emphasizes proper storage, steeping, and grinding. He also explores efficient and effective cooking techniques using the spice. He presented an after dinner diversion program about saffron at the 2024 Oxford Food Symposium