I n Irancalled Persia until 1935rice is served with just about every meal. It's prepared in myriad ways, from simply steamed to elaborate dishes such as the polow with pistachios, dill, and saffron (a prized ingredient even 2,000 years ago) that's demonstrated in these videos. Common additions to polows include pieces of meat, dried fruit, orange peels, shredded carrots, and other vegetables.
A key feature of polow is the tah-diga browned, crunchy crust created by buttering the bottom of the cooking pan and then spreading a thin layer of par-boiled rice, yogurt, and saffron-infused water over it before adding the rest of the rice and other ingredients. In Iran, it is customary to give a large piece of the tah-dig to the guest of honor at the dinner table.Text by Megan O. Steintrager, illustrations by Matthew Brennan, photo by CIA/Keith Ferris