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anniejan77 · 5 years

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Surprise! I am back. After a long interval of workaholism, I am finally taking a little time-out to show all one of my, somewhat, recent adventures in Iran. It was not long ago that my husband and I, along with friends and family, took our unforgettable road trip to Badab-e Soort.

The natural terraces of Badap-e Soort, photo by me: Antonia Mosqueda

Yes, the famous Badap-e Surt (Persian: باداب سورت‎). If you have not heard of the location: it’s a natural site of Northern Iran in Mazandaran Province. The site, on a mountainside, is made up of a range of travertine terrace formations. The travertine terraces are one of the most attractive features there; they were created over thousands of years due to flowing water from two mineral hot springs that cooled and deposited carbonate minerals on the mountainside. The smell of sulfur is strong but brings about a beautiful array of colors and geological diversity to the natural site.

Now, to get to this particular site, it may be quite a ride but an enjoyable one if you like natural scenery…

Some scenery along the way.

When you arrive at the village of Orost, an experienced man sits, selling healthy liters of Zereshk juice (Good for the heart). Buy a bottle of juice and ask him to point you to the direction of Badap-e Soort: he will do just that, gladly. If you follow his directions correctly, there will be a few men with tractors waiting for tourists; they accept a small fee to give you the bumpiest, most terrifying, and wildest tractor ride of your life. When I took these photos, below, I did not know what my body was in for 🙂 One might prefer to hike up the mountain than experience this ride, but if you’re a thrill seeker and enjoy being tossed around in the back of a rickety old tractor that rides dangerously close to the edge, this might be just for you.

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Once you get to your ultimate destination, a friendly family waits there, offering tea and ash soup. Have the tour first, knowledgeable men will tell you as much as they can about the site; and they show you the main springs, indicating the ones you can and cannot drink from.

Taking in all the beauty of Badap-e Surt.

Below are photos of a small spring that you can drink from…

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According to some, one of the springs offer healing properties. It’s worth it to try. When we arrived the water was lower than usual and needed a good rain: however, that might have changed by now since Iran has had so much rain in recent months. I would recommend a trip there soon. I have heard from friends and family that went there as recent as this month and said many improvements have been made and the rain has had a positive impact on the site.

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Don’t drink from here, but admire the beauty and the beauty the spring water creates…

Badap-e Soort: photo by: Antonia Mosqueda

Maybe this is how the larger terraces looked thousands of years ago, in that case, they have a ways to go before they become as huge as the others.

Water trickled down the terraces and formed these small features that glistened as you could hear the spring water trickle down. The springs not only give this mountainside it’s color but the shapes that make it so unique.

After the short lecture and tour, offered by a kind man after buying some tea or soup: enjoy the site. Do not walk on certain terraces though: this weakens the formation, and do not pollute or stay after dark. Follow the rules, they are there to preserve this naturally gorgeous site.

Three colossal terraces opposite of several on one side. Mohammad gives us an idea of how large they are.

Probably the most attractive feature of the site are these terraces that change color depending on time of day and position of sun.

The pictures above were taken at different times of day, from different angles. After, taking in all that beauty, we eagerly ran to the old tractor for another crazy ride. Going down was just as fun, possibly a little smoother!

Photo of the old tractor: Antonia Mosqueda

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All in all, it was an excellent and exciting trip, another reason to spend and get closer to friends and family like all other road, hiking, and camping trips. Hope you enjoy my little picture story and feel inspired to see Badab-e Soort or even Iran!

Knocking out that bucket list…one step at a time!Badab-e Soort Surprise! I am back. After a long interval of workaholism, I am finally taking a little time-out to show all one of my, somewhat, recent adventures in Iran.

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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The most beautiful terrain in Iran: Kahlaleh (So I think)

Some photos from my time in Kahlaleh, Golestan: it’s a desolate region of some of the most beautiful landscapes and ancient history of Iran. Remnants of Zoroastrian architecture rests nearby; an ancient shrine named for the prophet Khaled sits atop a mountain (which we climbed); gravestones of intriguing shapes and history are located there too. And there is this amazing geographical terrain like no other place I have seen: green hills go on for miles and miles on one side; on the other side, there is a ripple effect of hills formed by old shell deposits and other sediments from old sea life, reaching out vastly and entering Turkmenistan country. Oh, and the wildlife was amazing too! We saw owls, and we saw beautiful birds and butterflies—don’t know the species. I’ll have to spend more time on the wildlife there during another trip. The entire hill country is mesmerizing, a long drive through this region is worth the sight-seeing of unforgettable, natural beauty, especially in springtime when Shaghayegh flowers are in full bloom. Here is a little glimpse through my lens. I will try to upload more photos and videos later! #TheIranIKnow

My son enjoying the scene.

The beautiful red flowers are called Shaghayegh

My kids taking in all that beauty!

Roadside views in Kahlaleh

The most beautiful terrain in Iran: Kahlaleh The most beautiful terrain in Iran: Kahlaleh (So I think) Some photos from my time in Kahlaleh, Golestan: it's a desolate region of some of the most beautiful landscapes and ancient history of Iran.

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Seeing the Man of my Dreams in the Flesh! — The Iran I know My husband and I were committed to each other for a while online before we actually tied the knot in person.

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Great Doctors of Iran

I’m just going to leave this here for a little FYI on Iranian doctors:

Doctors and nurses: another admirable group of people in the IRI. My doctors are at least some of the most hardworking and selfless people I know. Often they will treat patients for free if they can’t afford a small doctor’s fee. This website at GOUMS has a little news about some of Iran’s great doctors and medical…

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Breastfeeding USA vs. Iran: Legal Rights, Social behaviors, and Support of Nursing Mothers Since this issue is coming up a lot, people might want to try to understand where some have freedom and others do not.

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Iran's Incredible Medical Advancments

Iran’s Incredible Medical Advancments

updating…

I do have a mission in Iran, for those that do not know or only like to assume to know. In fact, I have a few goals while I’m here: I keep busy on all of them. One goal of mine is to see Iran’s ‘Economy of Resistance’ grow stronger, developing and expanding as much as possible, especially, while strapped with unpleasant and inhumane sanctions.

Personally, I look for ways to help and…

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#EconomyOfResistance Iran

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Do as Rachel Corrie did for Palestine

Since the tragic loss of Rachel Corrie, whose martyrdom anniversary was observed almost a month ago, world citizens became more aware and concerned about the Palestinian plight. People have observed and learned much about Palestine, thanks to the memory of this selfless young activist. Sadly, people have also observed the Palestinian movement go from prominent to inconsequential, to great again…

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Iran: As Winter Combats Spring, Exhibitions are all the Hype

Updating this blog post… This time of year in Iran there is a saying, due to the incredibly fluctuating weather, and that is “Winter and Spring are fighting (جنگ بین زمستان و بهار )”–so my husband tells me. Winter is on its way out, taking with it all the snow and cold; Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, which invites in the spring season is just around the river bend. While winter may be stubbornly…

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Iranians save American lives: Americans kill, deport and jail Iranians!

Update! I am pleased to add that a few people I recommended to this very Doctor to, the one I blogged about, who were also young women in need of gall bladder removal, have now had the surgery and are recovering nicely. My recovery is going well as expected in second month. I am happy to be eating again!

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Updating….

Little do people know, pumpkin pie can save your life; especially, if you’re itching for some cash and a quick honest way to make it. And, also if you are on a tight budget and enjoy healthy vitamin-packed, affordable foods. You can make a few pumpkin pies straight up off a few dollars, if going the conventional route; or you can make it as your great granny probably did–way back during the Great Depression (like I do now, since I moved to IRI– sanctioned territory). Allow me to explain…

Photo: A meme pulled off of Facebook. I’m well on my way Granny!

Living the hard knock life for a short time, and somewhat doing that today, I had to come up with ways to feed my kids and pay the bills; thus making Pumpkin pie was a great way to do that! I hustled it, during the Texas autumn and winter seasons–mid-October to January–taking my homemade pumpkin pies to any place that welcomed me. I covered five bars in my hometown (there are more bars than churches): I never understood their love for pumpkin pie, before and after closing time–but hey it worked for me! Convenient store owners paid for this Mamma’s pie, who would resale them by the slice, those business savvy guys! I sold to professors, who loved to help a poor, struggling student out. Nursing home and hospital workers, even folks in the ER bought my pie. Most of all, I sold to people, in general, who just did not have the time to make anything homemade (tired of their regular and limited eat stops like McDonald’s or Chili’s)–they yearned for the things that Mamma used to make–if Mama was cool. I knew who to hit up and where, yo! I was ahead of my game; eventually, my homemade pie business earned me enough money to take my studies abroad, to India, for a few months.

Told you I made it to India, I will have to blog about this journey another time though!

Yes. That is how good it got. I generated so much money from my pie dealing business that I was stuffin’ cash into my sofa, hiding it under floorboards, and running out of places to put my bills (Okay, I may be exaggerating here, just a wee a bit, but it makes this all sound good). People knew who I was alright: Annie the pumpkin pie hustler (not to be mistaken with another kind of hustle). Sometimes I would be stopped on the street by someone saying, “Hey you got any pie?” or “We hear yours is the best on the street.” People were begging for my pies at one point. So, back in the US of A, I could always count on my peeps to buy my pumpkin pies, giving me that extra somethin’ I needed to survive my hard knock life. But, suddenly, that all changed when I moved to Iran, where my cooking skills and my street smarts were challenged by a society who did not even eat the much loved American pumpkin pie: OMG, Toto we definitely weren’t in Texas anymore!

The time I first made a super homemade pumpkin pie in Iran.

From the start of my “Pie selling” business, I never put too much effort into what I did. As you know, in U.S all the pie fixings are prepared and easily plop out of a can (Love how pumpkin pie puree literally just plops out, like this: shluuuush PLOP!!) Few people, I know of, can actually make the homemade pie crust. Moreover, no one cares to get their hands dirty by gutting and dismembering the gourds or pumpkins, themselves, in order to get the most important base ingredients for the pie: the actual innards for that sweet pumpkin puree. Most of us run to Libby’s and the Pillsbury dough boy: this is calling it homemade in U.S.A.–at least where I am from, there is either homemade or scratch.

Photo: Cleaning out the insides of some of our pumpkins and making jack-o-lanterns too.

Moving forward, I had a long road ahead of me to master an entirely new way of making the pioneer woman’s pumpkin pie, introducing it to a society who loves the traditional Persian flavors and is pretty hard to win over when it comes to something new and unusual. Pumpkin pie was unheard of here and almost taboo. I had to find new ways of making Pumpkin pie, and try new things, too, without relying on canned ingredients. And with a little effort and know-how, it was not that hard to master a truly homemade, to the next level, extreme pumpkin pie.

Gourds grown on our farm for pumpkin puree.

My family knows that I love adding pumpkin, squash, and other gourds to many things; these fruits are a base material in some of my other dishes. Maybe it is a Native American thing? So one year my brother-in-law farmed everything I needed in order to make my pumpkin puree for various dishes, one of course was the pumpkin pie.

Various gourds from the pumpkin farm, most of which were used for roasted seeds.

I learned to make the base ingredients from scratch, by checking out ol’ ma and pa sites online: there are so many and all tend to be pretty useful, right down to how to gut a gourd! I peeled, sliced, diced, and boiled and made my own pumpkin puree. Which is probably so much healthier than the canned stuff ! I managed to successfully make pumpkin pies off of the many ingredients grown in our own village. My family is always the first people that I experiment on when making new foods; fortunately, they liked the pie so much it has now been part of our normal eating. People in my village and expansive family heard about my pie, already I have been asked to make it for a few parties and occasions. So, a short-term pie business in the future is likely, but for now I am just happy I can make them without depending on canned goods.

Party Pumpkin Pie, made for a family Christmas dinner this year.

Today, most of the the ingredients for my pumpkin pie grows out of my own backyard: eggs, milk, and gourds. This is honestly something I never dreamed of doing while in the USA. I always wanted too, but never did it. I never lived in the right environment or area where farming to this extent was possible. US has many laws and restrictions on farming and what you can and cannot do in your own backyard. Iran tends to be a little more liberal in this sense. I mean, we know people raising chickens in their apartments and growing many veggies off their rooftops and balconies. Iran tends to encourage agricultural work and trade more so than American society. I just love it. I have always appreciated homegrown foods. Iran took me that extra step further, even when it comes to the American foods that I love and have now found ways to new to make and appreciate–from an entirely different perspective.

One of our egg laying Silkie hens with her man.

Pumpkin Puree: Ingredients and Instrcutions:

From one small pumpkin, ready to cook and puree.

Ingredients:

Diced and peeled pumpkin or ground (small to large)

5 + Water for boiling process

Recipe for Pumpkin Puree:

You can use any type of gourd really, as long as you can get out enough fruit for a few cups to make one pie. After peeling or carving out the pumpkin or gourd remove, all the seeds. You can cut the harder pieces into chunks or squares. Boil everything from the inside, asides from the seeds, in water. Boil and stir occasionally until water begins to evaporate. Lower heat after 30 minutes or so, and continue to stir. You can slow cook the puree for a few hours and then squeeze out all water. After long cooking, draining and stirring, it will become a smooth and soft puree, perfect for making pie. Whatever is not needed for pie can be canned or frozen.

Homemade Pie Crust Ingredients and Recipe:

Sometimes I use cookie sheets for freezing convenience.

3 cups of sifted flour

8-12 ounces of shortening, butter flavored optional

8-16 tablespoons of water

1 tsp of salt

(sometimes the ingredients will vary in order to get the dough to the right consistency and portion)

Instructions:

In a bowl add flour with salt, mix it in. Then use a knife or a cheese-grader to chop flakes off a cold chunk of shortening, if you can get butter flavored shortening even better! Begin to stir in the shortening, working it into the flour, add the water teaspoon by teaspoon. Put some work into mixing the dough, first with spoon then by hand, till it forms like a nice softball, one that is not too firm or not too soft. When it forms well, do not over water it, stop adding the water. You may need to add just a lil’ more flour if you put too much water, it is nothing that cannot be fixed. Just make sure that your ball of dough is smooth, and it should be enough for two large family sized pies. Break the ball in two and form two baseballs. With a roller and a lightly floured solid surface, form your crust and roll it out. Make sure it covers all area of your pie dish. Set the rolled out raw crust aside and move on to making the pie. Any leftover pie dough can be frozen.

Pumpkin Pie Ingredients and Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 large pie crust

8-10 oz of condensed sweetened milk: various links added below so you can easily make your own at home; if you prefer, non-sweetened condensed milk can also be used.

1/2 cup of brown sugar: sometimes more needs to be added or less, you need to taste a little bit of the mix once all ingredients are added, the sweetened condensed milk adds a lot of sugar to taste too.

1 1/2 cup of homemade Pumpkin puree: I prepare and cook the puree for hours in advance.

2 fresh eggs from yer own dern chickens, if you have: if not pick up some organic eggs that you trust. I am quite picky when it comes to purchasing commercial eggs. We are spoiled with our own eggs from beautiful hens.

1 teaspoon of fresh ground cinnamon

2-3 pinches of ginger, depends on what the chef likes

Instructions:

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Make sure all water is drained from the pumpkin after the puree process. Next, add beaten eggs to the puree along with all spices, milk and sugar. Mix it all well, make sure there are no lumps (see image of pie mix in crust). Pour the mix into the pie crust and bake in the oven on a medium setting for 45 minutes, sometimes less. I check if the pie is ready by color and by inserting a fork or toothpick; if ready, it should come out clean. Under cooked pie is usually runny, you do not want that. Once your pie is cooked, let it coo. You can add ice cream or cool whip to it!

Enjoy!

Pan de Polvo and Pumpkin Pie made for an Iranian Christmas dinner

Helpful links:

https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/how-to-make-condensed-milk/

https://www.kitchenstewardship.com/recipes/healthy-homemade-sweetened-condensed-milk/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/279610.php

http://dailyburn.com/life/health/pumpkin-health-benefits/

Annie’s extreme Pumpkin Pie adventure and recipe Updating.... Little do people know, pumpkin pie can save your life; especially, if you're itching for some cash and a quick honest way to make it.

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Updating and adding media…

Before such artists like Leonardo DaVinci applied mathematics, particularly the Golden Ratio or Divine Ratio, to create several masterpieces, and before the construction of Taj Mahal also known for its symmetrical Phi qualities, there lived Persian Islamic scientists or hakeem (those with broad knowledge in many fields) like that of Ziyarid Amir Shams ol-Ma’āli Qabus ibn Wushmgir (شمس المعالي قابوس بن وشمگير) who applied the very same phi techniques to their own works. One example of Qabus’ magnum opus is that of a tower known as Gonbad-e Qabus in the Golestan Province of Iran.

A woman walks along the site of Gonbad-eQabus: Photo by Antonia Mosqueda

The tower is constructed of baked-brick material, as are many of the long-standing historical monuments of Golestan Province(some going back 3,000 y.a.) made of. At a glance the Tower of Gonbad-e Qabus appears to have used the appealing Golden Ratio proportions because of the obvious symmetry of the tower’s conical peak. The tower upon realization is an enormous decagon structure topped with a conic roof, forming a ratio that equals 1. 618 or in other words Phi.

Topped with the power of Pi: Photo by Antonia Mosqueda

The power of Phi is not the only thing mathematical that rocks this awesome brick tower, the interior contains the earliest examples of Muqarnas (Geometric) deco styles. For example, “the decagon with its 3 meter-thick wall, divided into 10 sides, has a diameter of 17 m. The Tower was built on such a scientific and architectural design that at the front of the Tower, at an external circle, one can hear one’s echo.”—I will go more into the echo chambers later.

Kufic inscriptions surround the decagon tower from top to bottom: Photo by my daughter ❤

The decagon tower has several amazing features, so much that it is a registered World Heritage Site. Gonbad-e Qabus was built 1000 yrs. ago in 1006 AD. Since, it has withstood the tests of time: erosion, vandalism and natural disasters, this also goes to show how advanced Iranian architecture was over 1,000 yrs. ago. It had many purposes, too, but most noteworthy for its purpose as an inland “light house.” It is so far known that a fire was lit in the tower releasing smoke from a vent above (which is still present); thus, to act as a smoke signal for travelers in order to indicate their location on land; though the Caspian sea is close, there is nothing to suggests that the signal could have been visible from so far off (40km).

In this photo with some new friends (taken by Mohsen, my husband) you can actually see the smoke vent on top of the conical roof.

When you approach the vicinity of the tower, one might take notice that it is not only the attractiveness of the Divine Ratio that captivates visitors, there is actually some special kind of magnetism at work between two echo chambers. Although I am not familiar with why these echo chambers were built, it seems quite apparent they may have been used for means of communication. For instance, while standing several feet away from the tower on one perfectly formed outdoor echo platform (see photo)—perhaps the outdoor echo platform is equal in size to the base of the tower interior, too—one can communicate with another, whom is within the tower walls. You can also tap on the platform, or dance like the children do, to feel the vibration of the echo; or simply speak to experience the echo of your own voice while standing on the marble platform of echoes. While inside the tower voices of several people, inside and out, become trapped in the tower’s walls, reflected and released into the atmosphere of the indoor tower. I have really seen nothing like it.

My Daughter puts the echo platform to the test and she is amazed.

The ground interior: photo taken by my daughter

Ground interior of Gonbad-e Qabus: Photo by Antonia Mosqueda

However, the tower, in my opinion, does more than exhibit the simplistic beauty of the divine ratio and ingenious architecture, it exudes an energy that brings about tranquility and content all around: it’s what makes this historical site so special and attractive to all who visit. The panoramic energy is captivating, it makes me wonder what other mysteries might have been buried with the construction of this site. Hanging out at the tower for an hour or two does something amazing for the soul. So, if you visit, stick around a while, and enjoy the nature and friendly people of Gonbad. Trust me, you approach the tower in amazement and you leave just as amazed.

Enjoy the remaining photos and slideshow I have added!

I love my daughter’s photography. A man gives rides on his horse carriage around the tower.

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Torkeman clothes hang on a gate: you can dress in the traditional clothes of the local population for a small fee and have your photo taken.

Works Cited:

https://www.iranvisitor.com/city-guides/caspian-coast-guide

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonbad-e_Qabus_(tower)

The Golden Ratio and Gonbad-e Qabus Updating and adding media... Before such artists like Leonardo DaVinci applied mathematics, particularly the Golden Ratio or Divine Ratio, to create several masterpieces, and before the construction of Taj Mahal also known for its symmetrical Phi qualities, there lived Persian Islamic scientists or hakeem (those with broad knowledge in many fields) like that of Ziyarid Amir Shams ol-Ma'āli Qabus ibn Wushmgir (شمس المعالي قابوس بن وشمگير) who applied the very same phi techniques to their own works.

#DivineRatio Iran

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Western Media Exaggerates Rise of overall Food prices in Iran

Last week (when the western media claimed things were so crazy in Iran) Mohsen and I visited with some shop and restaurant owners for several reasons: one, of course, to give them business (an economy does not thrive w/o supporting local businesses); secondly, to ask them how business was actually going; next, to talk about economical issues, mainly the raise of food prices in Iran (price of eggs…

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#NaharKhoran Iran Golestan MiddleEasternFood Foodies IranProtests

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anniejan77 · 6 years

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Iranians save American lives: Americans kill, deport, and jail Iranians!

Updating… I have been away from the blog-o-sphere for quite some time. An emergency came up that prompted a good Iranian doctor to schedule me for a much needed surgery. In that time of waiting and recovering, I was nervous and scared—as any human would be when faced with being opened up. The surgery was ultimately a success: a lifesaving event that took me from concerns of never seeing my family…

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anniejan77 · 7 years

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Iran's Supreme Leader, did he really say that?

Iran’s Supreme Leader, did he really say that?

Faulty information alert on an Iranian Leader published in The Independent, with the following misleading title: “Iran’s Supreme Leader claims gender equality is ‘Zionist plot’ aiming to corrupt role of women in society.”‘ I don’t often defend world leaders, but when I do it is because I know and research them well-enough: reading and watching their words in their language, comparing it to my own…

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#women&039;s-rights

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anniejan77 · 7 years

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In my last blog post I wrote: “Every year I am more than excited to attend the Annual Festival of Tribes and Hand Crafts, in Iran, not only do I find better deals here than in the stores and markets, but I get to see nearly all of Iran and its cultural diversity in one spot. It is truly a melting pot of cultural diversity. And, not only are the exhibition arenas filled with amazing crafts, but there is a variety of traditional foods, music, and other entertainment. To kick off this series about the festival and why it is a must attend, I will introduce you to the amazing foods this traveling road fair has to offer!”—You had the chance, if not in reality to see some pretty cool food pics, and old timer ways of making food. So, since last week it was all about the food, this week it’s all about the entertainment!

Entering the arena of laughter and glee, that give a wonderful humanly aura to these festivals, are the unforgettable sounds of music: music from every culture plays simultaneously, filling any crevasse in the air with a masterly finesse. Musicians and performers from all walks of life and many cultures, dressed in their traditional and ancient styles, add so much vibrancy, color and brilliance to the nearly week long festival. Truly, you will witness in Iran (in spite of what others say or are rumored to say) that there are no boundaries for these performers in regards to age, sex, religion and ethnicity. Below is an example of that: young female musicians performing on stage at a cultural event in Golestan, Iran. The band of all age groups, among many other performers, and genders played instruments and sang to a growing audience.

Ever more heartwarming was that several amazing parents included their children in their family business of music and entertainment. The young children, singing, dancing, and playing instruments, added so much to the family friendly atmosphere. It also taught me how nourishing and thoughtful these Iranian parents were to pass on their great skills and talents to their children, making the time and putting in the effort is not easy, but they made it look like a cake walk!

One of the youngest performers, so cute and kuchelu!

“Fathers and sons” band and dancers. I love this photo with the proud men towering over their young ones.

Some of my favorite performers, young Turkeman singers. You can get a live look of them on my fb. I will try to link some video entertainment here soon.

That we have seen some of the younger performers, what about the older ones? Yes grandmothers, grandfathers, and the great grandmothers and great grandfathers add in their talents too! As you can see from the photos below: a fiddler on the roof with his grandson, a singer–said to be over 90!–performed with his grandchild and son, and a grandmother serenaded me and my husband while playing a traditional “daff.”

Visions of dance and other forms of cultural entertainment top off these events for an added plus. Take a look at the slide show for the classic man on stilts, spinning dancers, and kiddie entertainment with Iran’s own version of “Barney!”

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Weddings are also celebrated at the annual festival, so you get a glimpse of traditional weddings–Torkeman, Lor, Sistani, Baluchistani, to name a few–which are celebrated with music, dance and other forms of entertainment. We were honored to be asked to take photos with brides and grooms “to be”–and thrilled to watch their happy families sing and dance in honor of these holy unions. See the slide show below 🙂

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Oh! Now, did I mention the animals? The place also becomes a petting Zoo with various animals for people to ride or pet, most of the time just for a photo. Check out my husband and I photo bombing kids and their moments on the camel 🙂

Kid looks scared on the camel!

Husband photo bombing one happy little camper

We do not know her, but she sure is cute!

My husband posing with men from different tribes and ethnicity who entertained throughout the days and nights. May God bless them all for serving humankind so beautifully . ❤

Overall, the entertainment was amazing, four days at this event and we have not seen it all! It is just that incredible! Soon, I can hopefully upload more videos to my youtube, ello, or fb so you can see for yourself the amazingly talented people of Iran.

Make the most out of your Iran trip: attend this event! Part 2 In my last blog post I wrote: "Every year I am more than excited to attend the Annual Festival of Tribes and Hand Crafts, in Iran, not only do I find better deals here than in the stores and markets, but I get to see nearly all of Iran and its cultural diversity in one spot.

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anniejan77 · 7 years

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Every year I am more than excited to attend the Annual Festival of Tribes and Hand Crafts, in Iran, not only do I find better deals here than in the stores and markets, but I get to see nearly all of Iran and its cultural diversity in one spot. Plus, not only are the exhibition arenas filled with amazing crafts, but there is a variety of traditional foods, music, and other entertainment. To kick off this series about the festival and why it is a must attend, I will introduce you to the amazing foods this traveling road fair has to offer!

Check out some of the traditional techniques of making outdoor food!

A few cents is all it takes to try this naan, toasted to perfection in an old style kiln for bread making.

A taste that comes with a smile, and a generous onlooker 🙂

The Food: The food is first of all made right in front of you, it is mostly fried food, breads, slow cooked stews and soups, or food prepared by very vigorous outdoor work: made with ancient apparatuses ( like in the photo below, sheepskin holding milk is swung back and forth to produce butter or a popular traditional drink known as doogh.) Think of it as a outdoor “Texas cook off,”– if you have ever been — where everyone is eager to please the guest and show off their regional flavors, skills and talents. Sometimes you find an occasional food booth handing out free soups and other free dishes. Often a taste of Persian culture is no more than a buck or two! Truly worth every bit of pleasure.

For making Doogh and butter.

Women lined up in traditional clothing selling food items.

Breads are a big deal at this event, and you might want to stock up on them if you do attend. Save for later or freeze for home, too. The yearly fair has some of the best breads and varieties you will probably find in Iran: sweet breads, big breads, little breads, fried breads, bread stuffed with meat or veggies bread, you name it, they have it.

This is a traditional bread and favorite, it is made with a hint of sweetness and deep fried to perfection (not recommended for diabetics 🙂

Big bread

Little breads

Bread, bread, bread

Then, of course there are alternatives to all that bread: a variety of soups and other homemade foods are available. Not everyone can live on bread alone, or can eat it. The soups are often made with pure veggies; and, you might find a few with little meat, but not too often. Soups would mostly satisfy a vegetarian, if you are on a strict diet.

Hardy and healthy soups are all the rave here; these sweet ladies remember my husband and I every year, they try to force their soups on us for free! Ahaha, aren’t we so lucky? — However we pay, regardless, because this soup is so delicious we know a lot of hard work and care went into making it: they must reap rewards for their hard work too ❤

My Husband, eating a complementary bowl of veggie soup–with bunny ears from our daughter!

A variety of decorated soups on display

Persian “Torshi” pickled salads and vegetables made fresh and ready to eat! Torshi was something I used to dislike, but now I can’t seem to get enough!

Now, after you eat you and walk all over the place, you might feel a little thirsty! No worries! The guys at the “Arabian nights” booth offer free hospitality to anyone who needs to relax for chai or coffee, especially the men whose legs are sore after their wives and kids run them all over the large festival with hundreds of booths. Several tents are on display that represent the different tribes and cultures in Iran. Check it out below!

My Husband and I relax in a booth while a kind man offers to take a photo of us.

Servning set for the best chai!

A great host in the “Arabian nights” booth

Iranian-Arab men pracitcing a little known tradtion called “taroof”

Other things the exhibition has to offer in the food category are a variety of take home foods from all over Iran: mostly, traditional sweets and a few things that excite the youngsters.

Fresh mountain honey, different flavors great prices.

Walnut Halva

Maskate

Pastel, or as we know jellies!

A variety of sweets to purchase for home.

People working in their booths to sell traditional foods.

You should know every year during autumn-early fall, between the months of October-December this road show travels through every province and major city of Iran. So if you live in Iran or you are up for something rare and different, search the international exhibition calendar of Iran. Below are different links I gathered online. I hope they are of help to you! See you next week when I blog about the entertainment at the fair!

http://www.eventseye.com/fairs/c1_trade-shows_iran.html

https://en.iranfair.com/

Make the most out of your Iran trip: attend this event! Part 1 Every year I am more than excited to attend the Annual Festival of Tribes and Hand Crafts, in Iran, not only do I find better deals here than in the stores and markets, but I get to see nearly all of Iran and its cultural diversity in one spot.

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