I'm not Persian, I'm just kind of a mountain girl, grew up in the suburbs of Denver, but my very favorite comfort food is vegetarian ghormeh sabzi, which is an herb stew made with parsley, coriander and fenugreek, topped with red beans. Oh man, I love this dish. OK, I know for sure I'm not going to find vegetarian ghormeh sabzi at a restaurant, I never have found the veggie version of this dish anywhere, ever, though I've seen traditional (with lamb) at Sabzi on Whyte. So I make vegetarian ghormeh sabzi at home, but my favorite part of the dish is the dried limes. Where in Edmonton does one find dried limes? Just as I was about to order dried limes over the internet for $35 - $5 for the limes, $30 for shipping, I discovered Super Pars, and a nice big bag of dried limes for $4.95. The shop is conveniently located on 34th Avenue just east of 99th Street (at 93rd). They also have saffron-scented pistachios, rosewater, pomegranate syrup, and the smoked rice I spent years searching for when I lived in Los Angeles. Such beautiful foods.
Very helpful folks down there, too. Persian food is never spicy, and I find it odd that I love this cuisine so much, given that I like my food pretty spicy. It's healthy, hearty food with flavors that are quite delicate and refined.
All of the stuff you need for this incredible cuisine can be found at Super Pars. The owner (I think he's the owner) will give you menu recommendations and tips on how to make a lovely Persian dinner. read more