Side dishes

Pickles (Shur va torshi)Iranians are great consumers of pickles which they present on the table as an appetizer or side dish to dishes and meats. Vegetables and fruit are preserved in vinegar or brine and variously spiced and flavoured, using ancient and simple conservation methods inherited from ancient oriental and classical civilisations, for which the lack of means of transport, refrigeration and conservation was a very serious problem. Today in Iran you can find all kinds of pickles on the market, restaurants often prepare them by hand for their customers and in small towns and villages it is still possible to find street vendors of pickles who offer tastings of their best preparations to induce passers-by to try them. purchase. [expand title="read more"] Once potted, it is best to wait about a month before consuming them, keeping the pots in a cool, dry place. It is essential to choose excellent quality vegetables and white wine vinegar, wash and dry the pieces of vegetables perfectly, and use clean ladles and utensils to avoid the formation of mould. It is a good idea to boil the vegetables in vinegar for a few minutes. The salt absorbs the humidity of the vegetables, counteracting the development of microorganisms that would cause their decomposition. However, the amount of salt compared to water and vinegar can vary according to taste; three tablespoons of salt are generally sufficient for half a liter of liquid which can consist of equal parts water and vinegar. Depending on the quantity of vinegar used and the consistency of the final product, preserved vegetables take different names: those preserved in brine are called shur, while those prepared in water and vinegar in variable proportions are so-called torshi. In both types, cloves of fresh garlic, fresh chili peppers, sprigs of dill or tarragon, black peppercorns, mustard or coriander are added depending on taste.[/expand]