Going to describe what it was like to eat in a home in the "back of beyond"of Asia. Our the NGO friends ate in similar fashion, though their foods were somewhat less regional & often were recipes from their own ethnic backgrounds. That's me having lunch on the floor at our friend's home. I know. It looks like a picnic.Shoes always removed just inside the door.
Wooden floors always painted a rusty red.
Most meals were eaten on the floor.
Cloth/blanket spread on floor of largest room .
Corbagges (long rectangular pads) & pillows around perimeter.
Same cultural delights served at each gathering.
Tea brewed with loose tea leaves.
Usually first cup poured & then poured back into teapot.
Then tea is poured for everyone.
Dishes of nuts, dried fruit, raisons & candies.
Meat & onion filled pastries, little cakes, cookies.
Piled up fruit - persimmons, pommagranets, apples, tangerines.
Flat round bread called 'non', torn and handed around to the guests.
Sometimes the national dish is also served, osh:
Rice, meat and vegetables cooked in a very, very large pot.
(Photo blurred for privacy & yes they are holding the Muhalleh quilt)
A grapevine in our friend's yard. It seemed everyone had a grapevine. Dried raisons are in abundance - stems always left on.
Thanks for the food show and tell, Marge. The combinations of ingredients are interesting, though maybe not much different than lots of other countries. My Dad grew persimmons on his farm in Arkansas. I remember standing in the bed of his truck in order to reach the fruit; he cautioned to pick the soft fruit because the harder ones weren't ripe and would make your mouth pucker like alum does. I'd love to see how pomegranates grow.
ReplyDeleteProbably true-not so different. Hard for me to separate the food from the whole experience...all together it was pretty extreme.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't look much different from what I remember of my grandparents house in Portugal back in the early 50's...except we had a table and chairs. I also remember grapevines in every yard. Meat pies seem to be a standard in many cultures too.
ReplyDeleteFil...How interesting-your memories of Portugal in the early 50's, similar foods, grapevines in every yard, meat pies in many cultures and there is always bread, bread and more bread! Table and chairs - so much easier!
ReplyDeleteGrapevines in every yard also sounds very Italian! Especially with the bread, bread and more bread...although there is usually read sauce to go with it.
ReplyDeleteLove Italian! Serve it up anytime!!!!
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