Ardeh-o-Shireh

Iran's beloved winter breakfast: pale, nutty ardeh (Persian sesame tahini) swirled on the plate with dark, glossy shireh (boiled grape or date syrup) into ribbons of cream and bronze, scooped up with torn warm barbari bread, the simplest and most restorative of Persian morning tables

Origin: Iran (Persia)

From the journey of Sesame.

Ardeh-o-shireh is one of the most cherished of Persian breakfasts, especially in the cold months, when its richness is welcome: ardeh, the Persian tahini of ground toasted sesame, swirled together with shireh, the thick dark syrup boiled down from grapes (shireh-ye angur) or dates (shireh-ye khorma). The two are spooned side by side on a plate and marbled together at the table, then scooped up with pieces of warm barbari, the great blistered flatbread of the Iranian morning that is itself often crusted with sesame. Before refined sugar, grape and date syrups were the sweeteners of the Persian kitchen, and the pairing of sesame paste with fruit molasses is ancient, the same idea that gives the Levant its halva and Iraq its rashi w dibis. Simple, energy-rich, and deeply nourishing, ardeh-o-shireh is the homely Persian expression of a seed that has been on the Iranian plateau since antiquity.

Ingredients

150 g ardeh (Persian sesame paste) or good light tahini, well stirred
120 g shireh (grape molasses) or date syrup
2 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)
1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
1 large warm barbari or other flatbread, to serve

Method

Stir the ardeh thoroughly in its jar before measuring; the oil separates on standing and must be mixed back in until the paste is smooth and pourable.
Spoon the ardeh onto one side of a shallow serving plate or into a wide shallow bowl, and the shireh alongside it on the other side.
Using the back of a spoon, draw the two together in a few strokes to swirl them into ribbons of pale sesame and dark syrup, without fully blending them to a uniform brown.
Scatter with the walnuts and a pinch of cinnamon if using. Serve at once with plenty of warm barbari bread, torn into pieces for scooping.

Notes

The balance of ardeh to shireh is a matter of taste; start roughly equal and adjust, more shireh for a sweeter plate, more ardeh for a nuttier one. Date syrup gives a darker, more caramel flavour than grape, and either is traditional. Ardeh (Persian sesame paste) is sold by Iranian grocers and is slightly different in roast and texture from Levantine tahini, but a good light tahini stands in well. The mixture, blended fully, also makes a fine spread for toast and a filling for pastries.

The Gastrographer

Name: Ardeh-o-Shireh
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Iran
Ingredients: 150 g ardeh (Persian sesame paste) or good light tahini, well stirred; 120 g shireh (grape molasses) or date syrup; 2 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional); 1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional); 1 large warm barbari or other flatbread, to serve

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control