It’s our book club moderator Sue’s first country pick for the book club & it’s such an interesting one! The 1st two things that came to my mind when she mentioned this country was the delicious food & the fact that my mom still talks about the guy I dated in my 20s whose family was from there. 😂 (She just thought he was gorgeous with his long eyelashes & golden skin.)
Can you guess which country I’m talking about from the Facts.net tidbits below?
Slightly smaller than Alaska, it’s the 18th the largest country in the world.
It’s prone to frequent & violent earthquake activity.
It’s home to the highest population of refugees in the world.
Polo games started there in the 6th century mainly as cavalry training.
The founder of eBay & the CEO of Expedia claim cultural heritage from this land.
This country prohibits same-sex union, but allows gender reassignment surgery.
Any guesses yet? What if I added…
30 year olds & below make up the majority of the country’s population because beginning around the 1980s reproduction became highly encouraged & incentives were even offered. But worries about population numbers have turned this around with a contraception class now a prerequisite for a marriage license.
This land counts among the largest producers of pistachios, saffron, & caviar.
The term “paradise” originated from a word from this country which means “enclosed garden.” This makes sense since this land boasts lush gardens & is also home to settlements dating as far back as 4000 BC—among the oldest continuous civilizations in the world.
But what country are we reading next?
Officially, it is named the Islamic Republic of Iran, but most call it Iran or Persia. (My ex called it Persia like many today still do because there are so many negatives associated with the title of Iran.)
If you haven’t had Persian food, you are in for a real treat. This is some of the best food I’ve ever eaten & I was over the moon to find this cookbook which also includes so many wonderful photos & stories I felt as if I had gone on a culinary tour of Persia..
Winner of the M.F.K Fisher Award for Excellence in Culinary Writing, & awarded Best Cookbook of the Year from the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, & BBC
Food has always been a part of Yasmin Khan’s life. Her grandparents began working a small piece of land in Iran shortly after she was born growing rice & vegetables for sale in local markets. But for this cookbook, she incorporates recipes from many Persian kitchens:
“I traveled from the snowy mountains of Tabriz to the cosmopolitan cafes of Tehran via the rice paddies of the Caspian Sea and the majestic deserts of central Iran, ending up at the tropical fishing ports of the Persian Gulf. On my journey, I visited saffron farms and pomegranate orchards, artisan chocolatiers and ancient tea houses, cooking and eating with farmers, artists, and schoolteachers. As we ate together, the people I met shared the stories behind the food they love and the country they call home, and it is their stories that are interwoven with the recipes in this book.”
The mouthwatering recipes reveal why the blessing of “Noosh-e jan” is offered during Persian meals—“Let your soul be nourished by what you are eating.” Swoon!
Now onto the books.
HAVE ANY BOOK SUGGESTIONS?
Just let us know your Persian suggestions by Sat, Sept. 19 11PM ET. (That’s NYC time. See it converted to your time below.)
You can comment with your suggestion below or in our online book club in Facebook.
Since it’s a moderator month, we'll use 1 suggestion from each moderator, 1 suggestion from an admin, & 2 suggestions from book club members to compile a list of 6 books. The book judged as best will then be read.
Please note - We're specific in our books, they must:
Largely occur in the location specified unless the world/situation described is not specific to a country (e.g., sci fi, fantasy, some poetry, philosophical books, etc.)
Be written by an author born there who has spent a good portion of their life there
Exist in paperback & ebook available on both Amazon & Kindle at least in the US & hopefully elsewhere
Also, we love it when folks suggest books which are also available in audio format. While we know this isn’t always possible so it is not a requirement, it is more inclusive & something for which all of us should strive.