INSIDE IRAN- THE SAFFRON DIARIES

I fell in love with an Iranian and then I fell in love with Iranian food. Or was it the other way around? He's a great cook and he had me at "hello would you like to try my Persian Lamb?" This month we will be visiting Iran and I can't wait to be fed by my husband's food crazy family. Persian cuisine is all about fresh herbs, nuts, rice, tender meat and, of course, lashings of saffron. It's the most expensive spice in the world because it takes about 80,000 flowers to produce 1 lb of saffron and the threads must be hand picked. So when you use it you'd better know what you're doing. Just follow the Persian's lead:

Iranians love their Joojeh Kebabs. Succulent skewers of chicken

marinated in Saffron, onion peppers and lemon juice.

Tah cheen is a rice cake made by mixing egg yolk, yoghurt and saffron

with rice and steaming it until the outside rice crisps.

Zereshk Polo is a rice dish using barberries (sour berries),

pistachios, almonds and orange rind.

Saffron ice cream is made with

fresh saffron and pistachios.

Let's put it this way, I've been learning Farsi and all I have bothered to learn is how to order food. Iran had better be ready because I'm coming armed with a camera and a very healthy appetite!