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29.4.12

Persian Mojito


Hello Michael, didn't you always tried to convince me that alcoholic drinks (at least in small quantities) are an integral part of civilisation and culture, and that I should not be so reluctant in sipping at least on your glas, when you ordered one of these various types of drinks and cocktails ? I think I was not ready then, and honestly I am still the one driving everybody home after a party, since I always stay dry. But this has little to do with a fundamental refusal of alcoholic drinks, it is simply a personal dislike of its taste, and the observation that alcohol abuse here in Sweden is a major social and health issue. But I am very much aware that wine and spirits were always part of human civilisation and part of the culture heritage. This came to my mind yesterday, when we visit a family of friends of my parents. They served a very delicious, traditional iranian drink called "Doogh". I liked its taste a lot, and when I asked the lady of the house how it is made, she took me to her kitchen and showed this very simple recipe. She took some ice cubes, lime juice, peppermint-leafes, a large portion of joghurt, mixed it all well up and filled it up with gased mineral water (look here, I made a photo of a glass Doogh for you).
Watching how she prepared the different ingredients so carefully, I experienced a sort of deja-vu. I couldn't help myself, but had the feeling that someone already shown me this recipe some time ago. And than it struck me like a sudden heureka: This was so similar to another summer drink that you had shown me several times in Munich, and I think was called Mojito. Just instead of Joghurt, you used to add white rum, right ? So when I proposed to the other guests at this afternoon, to call "Doogh" the "Persian Mojito", a loud and general discussion started about what was first. Some even asked to better call "Mojito" the "Western Doogh". Sometimes Iranians can be very patriotic, and want to show that all big values of world civilisation and culture somehow have their roots in ancient Persian.

Take Care
/ghazal

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 Oh Ghazal, my Dear, you are really full of phantasy. And its nice to read that even though you refused to drink the Mijito while you have been here in Munich, obviously you liked its colours and remembered the recipe. The one you have in your memories, is it like this one ?:
I hope that one day we will have the chance to try your Doogh and my Mojito. I think the two variants of summer drinks go together very well.

 Take Care, Michael








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Hello Michael, For your information, I tried Mojito! Its not my favorite, the leaves are always so annoying. otherwise it is nice. And here is a recipe for Iranian Doogh as given on this website


Ingredients (4 glasses)
1 cup Yogurt
3 cups sparkling Water
Salt
1/2 tbsp Dried or fresh mint 
Ice cubes 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Ghazal, So because you disliked the peppermint leafes, thats why you always rejected the Mojito here in Munich ?? Too bad, you should have tell me this. I would have shown you how to drink it without getting the leafes inside. In Iran it may be difficult to find Mojito. And I dont know if the Basidj tolerate this. But when we go there, I could switch to Doogh for some time. It is still a year time, and may be I can convince you to come with us. Thanks for the recipe. It reminds me a bit of a delicious Bulgarian drink called Tarator. But instead of Peppermint, it has a lot of dill, green cucumber and garlik. Michael

5 comments:

  1. Interesting observation. But I am surprised that Ghazal, as an Iranian is not familiar with Dough! That is the most essential drink in Iran with Chelo Kabab!:) having said that, I think the alcohol abuse in Sweden comes from the fact that there is not enough warmth and light in there! That makes you depress and then you start drinking:D that is my take, though.
    and according to archaeologist in Italy, the oldest wine was found in Iran around Shiraz! So, Iranian were wine drinkers for ever:D
    Mojito and rum and Dough, it is like you say, Sushi, va Sabzi polo ba Mahi are the same, or pizza with Alice is as to Sushi!:-) But then Uk is the USA the second, read my post if you wonder what I say! long writing!:) sorry!

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  2. oh, by the way, Alice = Anchovy I forgot to say that! In Italy Alice is Anchovy.

    cheers,

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  3. Ghosh, Alireza, you destroyed a beautiful imagination. When I hear the name Alice, I think of "Alice in Wonderland" or Jefferson Airplain's "White Rabbit" or a song "Living next door to Alice". At least something beautiful, enchanting, so to say with a general pleasure. And now I have to learn from you that Alice (in Italian) is the name for this mashed up rotten tiny fishes ???? So for me it shows clearly: sometimes its better not look behand the deeper meaning of words. Better keep our gut feeling that a nice sounding word (or name) has a nice equivalent in the real world. (Like Ghazal, for instance, meaning "Gazelle" or "Love Poem".
    But calling somebody in Italy "Rotten smelly fish jam", thats an harassment !!

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  4. Brechts Gedicht auf Persisch:
    http://rostamamani.persianblog.ir/tag/%D9%BE%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%B4_%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C_%DB%8C%DA%A9_%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B1

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  5. Hallo Dan, vielen Dank für die detektivische Arbeit. Ich habe die persische Übersetzung und den Link heute gleich an Iranian.com weitergeschickt.

    Wenn es Dich interessiert, ich habe aus Briefen, die politische Gefangene aus dem Evin-Gefängnis geschrieben haben, eine Webseite mit möglichen Übersetzungen in allemöglichen Sprachen gemacht ("Evin-Rosetta") http://evin-rosetta.persian-cat.de/.
    Jetzt überlege ich, ob man Brechts Gedichte in Übersetzungen dort auch reinstellen kann. Er war ja streng genommen auch politisch verfolgt(Deutschland,USA), deshalb im Exil(Dänemark), und ganz bestimmt fühlte er sich auch oft genug als Gefangener(Moskau,Berlin).

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