– by Bita Bell

Sholé Zard is a sweet and textured Iranian dessert. A rice pudding that is engulfed in saffron and rose water and often garnished and decorated with cinnamon powder, pistachios, and almonds. From a meter away from your nostrils, the floral, sweet, and soft aroma gently travels through you, reaches your mind and surrounds your imagination with a sunny botanical garden. The core ingredients of Sholé Zard are rice, sugar, rose water, saffron, and water.

Rice, an ingredient that glues the Iranian social fabric. A meal that is consumed on a daily basis. A meal that brings families together and unites people of difference to sit at one table, and, even if for a brief moment, share a commonality. Iran’s major rice production is situated in the north by the Caspian sea, where the air is humid, moist, and fresh. Shali-zar, rice fields spread across villages and towns, rice plants sitting in water. Women, in usually colorful clothes, are knee-deep in water, curved upper backs as they bend over and forward to plant, care, and harvest. The rice on our everyday table is nurtured not just by “mother earth” but by mothers. Woman*, life, freedom. If the core ingredient of Iran’s social gatherings is, literally, in the hands of women, shouldn’t those hands be held softly but firmly, in love and solidarity?

Rose water… take a deep inhale. Perhaps your last memory of its smell still lingers on. There is a rose water season in a city called Kashan, situated in the heart of Iran. The streets are filled with roses. You can hardly escape its fragrance. You may have heard that you can use rose water as a face wash for softer and shinier skin. But it is also associated with mosques, as it is used for purifying air—cleansing. It is this cleansing that we now cling on to. To get rid of the stink and stains, to that which has darkened our senses, and to the force that trashes the basket of rose petals. In the rose water distillery process, with the death of each petal, its sap evaporates in heat and rises; the many drops bond, form, and gather into bottles of rose water. This rising is no different than today’s uprising, which also arises from the death of many innocent souls—soft rose petals. We are here to bond, form, gather, and rise into a strong wave. Unbreakable and forever memorable. Take a deep inhale. Recall this fragrance, and let it remind us of woman*, life, freedom.

Saffron: one of the rarest and hence most valuable herbs on our planet, Iran’s fame depends on it. The dried strands are first hand grounded, in a circular motion, until it is powdered. Then it brews in hot water for a few minutes. Then the saffron liquid is added to the rice. Just a few dried strands of saffron can paint a kilo of rice yellow: like the force and impact of this uprising, a movement that is encompassing all its surroundings, like liquid saffron, the trace it is leaving behind is making a wider path for others to join, chanting: woman*, life, freedom.

Sugar, uttering the word alone, buzzes you in your seat, gives you energy. Perhaps even a smile. It is in its positivity that we look for joy, laughter, and hope. When we say freedom, what is it that we really mean? We mean the experience of the full expression of the small moments of joy, the moments that give life balance and stir us away from our mortal destiny. We all know we will die; but along the way, we want to sing, dance, embrace, live our authentic selves, and speak truth to power. Woman*, life, freedom.

Water, life itself. What we are made of, our first home for 9 months, and what keeps us alive. Water, its disappearance, or rather our loss, is the most anxiety-inducing aspect of the climate crisis. In Iran, major lakes and rivers have completely dried out in the past few years alone. When we say “life”, we not only mean the life of women in the context of women’s rights. We mean the life of every being; ourselves, and our planet. Our livelihood. Woman*, life, freedom.

Sholé Zard is specific for two occasions; one is during funerals and religious ceremonies, a remembrance of Islamic Imams who devoted their lives to peace and justice. The other is for making a wish, less so in sentimental hopeful ways but more as a commitment to that wish. A commitment to working towards a goal despite the possible obstacles along the way. As we stir Sholé Zard, we remind ourselves to be patient, to stand our ground strong and keep moving. Woman*, life, freedom.

I invite you to take a moment and make a commitment, be it to yourself, to the people of Iran, to this planet. I invite you to approach your stirring pot, to say or whisper your commitment into the Sholé Zard.

When you savor and eat this rich and aromatic dessert, let it bring you towards an embodied commitment to making a better future. One that foregrounds woman*, life, freedom.

Please send a photo of your Sholé Zard to Improper Walls! Thank you!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rice
6 cups water
2 cups sugar
50 grams butter
1/2 cup Rosewater
1/4 cup bloomed saffron
1/4 cup sliced almond, optional
1/4 tsp powdered cardamom, optional

for garnish:

powdered cinnamon
sliced almonds and pistachios

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash your 1 cup of rice in cold water 2-3 times. Drain the water somewhere to water your plants! Add 6 cups of water and put it on medium heat. Do not stir for 1 hour. Let it cook until it gets mushy.
Add 2 cups of sugar and keep on medium heat.
Grind saffron strands and brew in 1/4 cup of hot water. Add bloomed saffron and 50 grams of butter and keep it on (slightly lower than medium) heat. Stir frequently so the bottom parts won't burn. You can add cardamom at this step if you desire. This is also the best moment to whisper or say your commitments into the pot.
At this time, you can add water if the meal is very thick, or you can let the excess water evaporate if it's too watery.
When the thickness is as you desire, add rosewater and keep it on the heat for a few more minutes. You can also add sliced, soaked almonds at this time.
Remove from heat. Pour into your serving dish and garnish with cinnamon and nuts.

HOLIDAY RECIPE IN SUPPORT OF THE IRANIAN FEMINIST REVOLUTION