Saaghi ساقی The Persian Home Bar
An imagined scene from Tehran & the Alborz
Chapter 8 of 10 · 10 drinks

Tehran & the Alborz

تهران و البرز

Café evenings in Darband, the old theatres of Lalehzar and snow on Damavand.

Backdrop and props for this chapter: slate blue, marble café table.

The drinks

10 cocktails

Darband Evening illustrated card

Darband Evening

عصر دربند
Sour plum, tea and a pinch of salt, an evening walk up the mountain.
 Lalehzar illustrated card

Lalehzar

لاله‌زار
Cognac, rye, vermouth and a splash of tea, for old Tehran's boulevard of cafés.
 Damavand Snow illustrated card

Damavand Snow

برف دماوند
Tart cherry under a white cap of foam, like Iran's highest peak.
 Āb-Havij Bastani illustrated card

Āb-Havij Bastani

آب‌هویج بستنی
The Tehran juice-bar float, grown up: carrot, cardamom, cognac and a scoop of saffron ice cream.
 Masti o Rasti illustrated card

Masti o Rasti

مستی و راستی
Drunkenness and truthfulness: aragh and doogh, the oldest pairing at the Iranian table, as a cold highball.
 Zang-e Tafrih illustrated card

Zang-e Tafrih

زنگ تفریح
The schoolyard snack grown up: aragh, pomegranate and sour plum, with a ribbon of lavashak on the glass.
 Sizdah Bedar illustrated card

Sizdah Bedar

سیزده‌به‌در
Sekanjebin the way Iran eats it, with lettuce for dipping: aragh, mint, cucumber and a splash of verjuice, tall and cold.
 Shab-Bidar illustrated card

Shab-Bidar

شب‌بیدار
The night owl's coffee: aragh, cardamom coffee, date syrup and a pinch of salt, shaken to a foam.
 Laboo Foroosh illustrated card

Laboo Foroosh

لبوفروش
Tehran's winter street beet in a coupe: aragh, roasted-beet and golpar syrup, lemon, and a golpar-salt rim.
 Tajrish illustrated card

Tajrish

تجریش
The Tajrish juice bar after dark: carrot, cardamom, basil and a slice of chili with vodka, under a cinnamon-dusted foam.
Pantry for this chapter

What you'll make first

All syrups & preparations
Syrup

Cardamom Syrup

شربت هل
spice syrup · Persian Gulf coast and across Iran
Used in 7 drinks
Syrup

Mint Sekanjebin

سکنجبین
sweet-sour vinegar syrup · across Iran
Used in 6 drinks
Syrup

Tart Cherry Syrup

شربت آلبالو
fruit syrup · across Iran
Used in 5 drinks
Syrup

Date Syrup

شیره خرما
fruit syrup · Kerman (Bam), Khuzestan and the Persian Gulf coast
Used in 6 drinks
Syrup

Sour Plum Cordial

شربت آلوچه
fruit cordial · Tehran (Darband) and Gilan
Used in 3 drinks
Preparation

Black Tea and Dried Lime Infusion

دم‌کردهٔ چای و لیمو عمانی
infusion (unsweetened) · Gilan (tea) and the Persian Gulf (dried lime)
Used in 1 drink
Preparation

Aquafaba

آب نخود
foaming agent · n/a
Used in 6 drinks
Preparation

Plain Saline

محلول نمک
saline solution · n/a
Used in 8 drinks
Preparation

Persian Black Tea for Drinks

چای ایرانی
tea · Gilan (Lahijan)
Used in 2 drinks
Preparation

Cardamom Coffee Concentrate

قهوهٔ هل‌دار
coffee · Yazd and Khuzestan
Used in 3 drinks
Preparation

Still Doogh

دوغ
dairy · Zagros and across Iran
Used in 2 drinks
Juice

Fresh Lemon and Lime Juice

آب لیمو تازه
fresh juice · across Iran
Used in 44 drinks
Juice

Fresh Cucumber Juice

آب خیار
fresh juice · across Iran
Used in 4 drinks
Juice

Fresh Pomegranate Juice

آب انار
fresh juice · Saveh, Yazd and across Iran
Used in 6 drinks
Garnish

Persian Rim Salts

نمک‌های لبهٔ لیوان
garnish · Persian Gulf, Khuzestan and across Iran
Used in 6 drinks
Juice

Fresh Carrot Juice

آب هویج
fresh juice · Tehran and across Iran
Used in 2 drinks
Preparation

Saffron Ice Cream (Bastani Sonnati)

بستنی سنتی زعفرانی
frozen dessert · Tehran and across Iran
Used in 1 drink
Syrup

Laboo Syrup (Roasted Beet and Golpar)

شربت لبو و گلپر
vegetable syrup · Tehran, winter streets
Used in 1 drink