Camel Stew in Kashan

A garden is a delight to the eye and solace for the soul.

The words of the Persian poet, Sa’di sprung to mind as we took a trip recently to Kashan, a picturesque town situated – in Esfahan province – on the western fringe of the Dasht-e-Kavir desert.  A three-hour drive directly south from Tehran, Kashan offers fabulous Qajar period architecture, the scent of rosewater in the air, a quiet yet atmospheric bazaar, and of course, that oasis in the desert, the Bagh-e-Fin.

The Abbasi Tea House and Restaurant in Kashan

After hours of desert driving, stepping into the Fin Garden feels a bit like stepping into the pages of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, the epic Persian Book of Kings.   It is not difficult to conjure up pictures in the mind’s eye of lush gardens, tall slender cyprus trees and deer grazing gently amongst the flowerbeds.  Although, admittedly, there are no deer or huntsmen today, the garden itself, a UNESCO world heritage site, delights the eye with blue tiled pools.  Scarce water – drawn from an extensive underground system of qanats – sprouts from the fountains.  You feel the urge to sit down in the welcoming shade of the trees and breathe the cool air in one long draught of contentment.

Another oasis in this desert town is the Abbasi Tea House and Restaurant.  The Abbasi is one of several 19^th Century Qajar grand houses, which have been painstakingly restored and are open to the public.  The Abbasi traditional house is the grand home of a merchant family in Kashan, which is a notable centre for carpets, textiles and pottery.  The entrance to the house is deceivingly drab, but after walking down the stone floor of the tunnel-like hallway, we suddenly emerged into a different era.  Large black and white photographs of the owner’s family, and times gone by, glided past as we entered the cavernous teahouse.  By the time we sat down on the traditional seats, the koorsi, we felt as if we had known the Abbasi’s for years.

As with most Qajar homes, the building is constructed around the central courtyard.  Traditional carpeted wooden seats, koorsi, surround the central pond and fountain.  And so we relaxed – shoeless – on the koorsi reclining on carpet-cushions to enjoy some Iranian tea and rosewater biscuits.  

A feeling of calm and coolness surrounded us and I was reminded of the time, on a recent trip to New York, when I was in a coffee shop and had just sat down with my cappuccino, opened my book, then was confronted by a sign on the table glaring back at me.  It stated customers have “20 minutes maximum” to drink their coffee and leave.  Gulping down the coffee, I burned my mouth.  My book remained unread.

Pressure, fortunately, is something you certainly won’t feel at the Abbassi. While listening to the traditional Iranian music, we perused the menu and our daughter Sarah, a born adventurer, decided on the camel stew braised in eggplant, badamjan, and whey.  As we waited with excitement, the waiter laid in front of us the traditional sofreh, an embroidered cloth on which dishes are placed.  We snacked on plain yogurt and bread, shared our various camel stories and discussed our theories on how to go about cooking one.

Camel Stew

In no time at all, the camel stew was laid before us, a shimmery golden brown stew, with succulent pieces of camel, stewed whole tomatoes and long strips of tenderly cooked eggplant. Along with it was served saffron topped rice.

The adventure had paid off.  The taste was so sweet and the mild-flavoured chunks of camel fell apart dreamily in our mouths.  Soon the plate was cleared.  I rate camel stew a clear favourite and not to be missed on anyone’s trip to Kashan.  Or wherever you can find it.

I have searched in my books for a recipe for camel stew but with little success.  Of course, I do appreciate that if many readers far from the deserts of Iran pop down to the local store and ask for a pound or two of camel, you may be confronted with interesting reactions. So, the only solution to the problem is to come and visit us in Iran!

What did Gary order?  I give you three guesses and you can email me your answers!