zeytoon parvardeh — Iran

Zeytoon parvardeh, literally 'processed olives', is an Iranian appetizer made from olives, reported as originating from Gilan province and generally served cold as a condiment alongside a main dish rather than as a dish on its own. It is built from a combination of olives, pomegranate molasses, walnuts, garlic, mint, blue eryngo and parsley, an assembly that can be found both made industrially and prepared at home across Iran, sold in jars in some markets alongside other pickled condiments. To prepare it, green olives are cracked and combined with ground walnuts, minced garlic, chopped mint and parsley, blue eryngo, pomegranate molasses and a little oil. The mixture is stirred until the olives are evenly coated, then left to marinate, usually for at least a day, so the flavors of the molasses and herbs work into the olives and soften their sharpness. Home cooks and producers vary the ratio of walnut to pomegranate molasses, the choice of fresh or dried herbs, and the marinating time, giving pastes that range from tart and thin to thick and sweet-sour, while olives, walnuts, pomegranate molasses and garlic remain the shared core of the preparation, whichever household or workshop makes it.