Quince | Beh

In Episode #56, co-hosts Bita and Beata un-cover quince is an exotic, unique ingredient used in Persian jams and stews. Quince is a fall and winter fruit. It looks like a pear-apple but a blown up version...bigger, harder than pears and apples, mostly used in a cooked version. The most interesting aspect is that it transforms from a pale color to a bright vibrant color. Has a strong aroma or fragrance.

Cooking technique to prepare Quince jam, moraba yeh beh

• Use a damkoni - simmer and hold the steam in, helps with color transformation
• Chop into slices
• Add sugar and optional cardamom and cook down

Beh in Persian cuisine

• Khoresh beh | quince stew - sweet and sour made with quince, tart plum, tomato sauce, cinnamon or saffron, sometimes meat
• Jam
• Quince seeds (beh dooneh in Farsi) - make a tonic to aid with a cough, home remedy
• Sharbat - a syrupy drink or soda

Ask the Beats

• Bita asks Beata, name the last two Persian dishes you cooked or partially cooked and how did it go?
• • Beata recently made kookoo and mast-o-khiar and it went well - likes to snack on mast-o-khiar as a dip for potato chips!
  • Bita made khoresh ghemeh and it was fine but not as good as Maman’s! Also fesenjoon meatballs using pre-made pre-cooked meatballs and a homemade easy fesenjoon sauce.

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Resources and recipes from this episode:

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipes:

Persian Quince Jam – Morabah Beh

Walnut and Pomegranate Stew – Khoreshteh Fessenjoon

Khoresh Fesenjan

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio