Nan-e Berenji
TypeCookie
Place of origin Iran
Region or stateKermanshah
Main ingredientsRice flour, Sugar, Egg, Cardamom, Clarified butter

Nan-e berenji (Persian: نان برنجي), also called shirini berenji, is an Iranian rice-flour cookie originating from Kermanshah.[1] Nan-e berenji literally translates to "rice bread". It is often flavored with cardamom, garnished with poppy seeds and formed into flat disks. They are usually white, but sometimes tinted yellow.[2]

Seven Sweets

According to legend, King Jamshid discovered sugar on the Persian new year, Nowruz. Therefore, there is the custom to celebrate Nowruz with seven sweet foods, in addition to the traditional other 7 foods at the Haft-sin.[3] The seven sweets are:

  • noghl, sugar-coated almonds
  • Persian baklava, pistachio almond pastry
  • nan-e berenji, rice cookies
  • nan-e badami, almond cookies
  • nan-e nokhodchi, chick-pea cookies
  • sohan asali, honey almonds
  • nan-e gerdui, walnut cookies

The history of Nan-e Berenji

Nan-e berenji dates back 150 years ago during the Qajar period. Travelers and pilgrims to and from Kermanshah on the Silk Road were looking for specific food which would last longer and also contain nutrients. In response, locals made sweets with rice, which was the leading food of the travelers.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Bāzargān, Ṣoḡrā (December 15, 1993). Cookies. Vol. VI (Last Revision: October 28, 2011 ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica. pp. 244–246.
  2. ↑ Marks, Gil. (2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish food. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. ISBN 978-0-544-18631-6. OCLC 849738985.
  3. ↑ "A Cookie for Every Country: Iran: Nan-e Nokhodchi". A Cookie for Every Country. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  4. ↑ "Nan-e Berenji - The Popular Souvenir Of Kermanshah". TAPPersia. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2021-08-31.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.