Traditional dessertmaking ritual in South Khorasan added to tourism events calendar

Traditional dessert-making ritual in South Khorasan added to tourism events calendar

TEHRAN - The traditional ritual of making Kaf, a local sweet dessert in South Khorasan province in eastern Iran, has been added to Iran’s national tourism events calendar, officials said.

The ritual, known locally as Kafbikh or Kafzani, takes its name from the dessert, which is traditionally prepared for family gatherings and special occasions.

The sweet is prepared in most villages and cities of the province in winter, usually on Yalda night (Shab-e Chelleh). It is also sold by local vendors in some parts of the vast province.

South Khorasan authorities say the registration aims to help preserve local traditions and promote regional cultural tourism.

Mohammad Arab, the deputy head of South Khorasan Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department, told ISNA on Monday that the certificate of Kafzani ritual was registered on Iran's National Tourism Events Calendar under the number 204091235 and was notified to the province.

He continued that during the ritual, all family members gather together. “This dessert also has therapeutic properties for the stomach and takes a long time to prepare, which is accompanied by reading folk and traditional poems and usually doing rhythmic movements in a circle.

Arab continued that Kafzani, as a subculture under the province's culinary tourism sub-category, with a history of hundreds of years, has been very popular with tourists, and this event is held with the aim of introducing a part of the province's ancient culture to the tourists.

He stated that Kafzani tradition dates back more than 100 years, and the ritual was registered under the number 815 on the country's Spiritual Heritage List.

Arab said that registering tourism events in introducing subcultures at the national and international levels in the medium term has a significant impact and adds to the province's tourism value chain.

The equipment needed to make Kaf includes a deep earthen pan, a bundle of wood from gaz plant and choobak plant (Acanthophyllum), which is its main ingredient, and some sugar or grape juice, crushed and chopped walnuts or pistachios, and green cumin.

For Kafzani process, we must be careful that the air is not hot and that the container or wood is not soaked in oil, because it will cause Kafzani to not fit well.

The steps for preparing the foam also include cleaning the choobak root and boiling it in several stages, and in the last stage, pouring the water into the earthen pan. Making a stick out of gaz tree branch (the reason for choosing gaz plant is because of its strength, other sticks may cause the foam to be bitter), then we start stirring the water in the earthen pan with the gaz stick, and the rotation should be in one direction so that the foam settles well.

We continue this until the water foams. In order to find out whether the foam has settled or not, we should leave the gaz stick of vertically. If the gaz stick does not fall, it is a sign that the foam is ready.

Finally, we slowly add the sugar that has been boiled before after it has cooled. Sometimes grape juice is added to it instead of sugar. After the foam is prepared, it is placed in different containers, and some sprinkle chopped walnuts or pistachios along with cumin on it to decorate and make it more delicious.

The foam also has medicinal properties.

KD

source: tehrantimes.com