By: Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer

I come from a Persian and Italian background, but my upbringing was more focused on the Italian side. No matter what percentage Italian you are, this usually seems to be the case. Italian culture revolves entirely around food and famiglia, which means family meals are held sacred. When I was a teenager I became increasingly curious about my Persian heritage, especially the food. I had tasted Persian food occasionally at rare family gatherings, but that was the extent of my experience. Because of this, I didn’t feel “Persian enough,” whatever that means.

For my 16th birthday, I asked my dad to take me to a Persian restaurant instead of giving me a gift. We went to Cazba, what was soon to become one of my favourite restaurants ever. I crave their food. We ordered a bunch of appetizers and mains — something I don’t often do, but I wanted to try as many new things as possible. The dish I’ve dreamt of the most since then is ghormeh sabzi.

Ghormeh sabzi is a traditional stew made with tons of herbs and kidney beans, and chunks of the most tender, delicious cubes of beef or lamb. When cooked right, the meat falls apart as soon as it touches the spoon. I haven’t dared try to replicate it at home in fear of ruining my love for it forever.

At a restaurant like Cazba, they serve ghormeh sabzi with a massive plate of saffron rice. Eating ghormeh sabzi feels like a warm hug. I never thought I’d say this, but it makes me love kidney beans (in the right context). It has this incredible savoury, herbaceous flavour, and smells like rich herbs and dried lime. Paired with fluffy, aromatic saffron rice, it’s simply the most delicious dish I have ever eaten. 

I was actually a bit afraid to try it for the first time at the restaurant with my dad; while it smells amazing, its appearance leaves much to be desired. It’s green with hints of red and brown from the kidney beans and meat, which doesn’t appeal to someone trying a new food for the first time. But don’t be fooled — once you try it, you’ll be hooked. It definitely piqued my interest in Persian food and encouraged me to try new dishes.

If you find yourself at Cazba or another Persian restaurant someday (hopefully soon!), here’s what my dad and I typically order:

• Pita
• Doogh (mint yogurt drink)
• Kashk-e bademjan (roasted eggplant dip)
• Mast-o moosir (yogurt dip with shallots)
• Ghormeh sabzi (see above!)
• Barg with an extra grilled tomato (steak kebab – comes with saffron rice and one grilled tomato)
  

Persian food isn’t typically what people go for when they’re craving take-out, but it’s quickly become my favourite cuisine. I feel more connected to my culture now, having tried (and loved) much of its cuisine.