''Faloodeh'' (, ), or ''paloodeh'' (, ), is a traditional
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
cold dessert similar to a
sorbet. It consists of thin
vermicelli-sized noodles made from
starch in a semi-frozen syrup containing sugar and
rose water.
''Faloodeh'' is often served with
lime juice and sometimes ground
pistachios
The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food.
In 2022, world ...
.
In Iran, ''faloodeh'' is sold in ice cream stores and coffee shops in flavors such as pistachio,
saffron, rose water, and honey, and can be served alongside
bastani sonnati, a traditional Persian ice cream. ''Faloodeh Shirazi'' (), a version from the city of
Shiraz, is particularly well-known.
In 2023, the
Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts added ''faloodeh''-making to Iran's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
History
The Persian word ''paloodeh'' is derived from the verb ''paloodan'' (), which means "to refine". ''Faloodeh'' is an Arabicized form of ''paloodeh'' that appeared after the
Arab conquest of Iran, due to a lack of the
phoneme
A phoneme () is any set of similar Phone (phonetics), speech sounds that are perceptually regarded by the speakers of a language as a single basic sound—a smallest possible Phonetics, phonetic unit—that helps distinguish one word fr ...
in Standard
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
.
In Arabic medieval sources, it was known as ''faloothaj'' (), for example in
Al-Muḥkam wa-al-muḥīt al-aʻẓam.
In the 16th to 18th centuries, the
Indo-Persian Mughal kings who ruled
South Asia
South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
created a cold dessert beverage called ''
falooda'', which is a derivative of ''faloodeh''.. Moreover, the
Yunnan
Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
ese desert ''paoluda'' (泡鲁达) also originates from this dessert.
Preparation
A thin batter of
starch (from potatoes,
arrowroot,
maize
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...
, or rice) is cooked then pressed through a
sieve, producing delicate strings similar to
cellophane noodles that are then chilled in ice water.
Afterwards, they are combined with the syrup mixture and rapidly cooled until the syrup is at least half-frozen.
''Faloodeh yazdi''
''Faloodeh yazdi'', also known by the traditional name ''maqutek'' in
Yazd province, is a variant of faloodeh, served as a cool drink.
See also
*
*
References
Arab desserts
Confectionery
Frozen desserts
Iranian desserts
Iranian inventions
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