''Faloodeh'' (, ), or ''paloodeh'' (, ), is a traditional

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

cold dessert similar to a sorbet. It consists of thin

vermicelli Vermicelli (, ; , literally "little worms"), is a traditional type of pasta round in section similar to spaghetti. In Anglosphere, English-speaking regions it is usually thinner than spaghetti, while in Italy it is thicker. It is typically made ...

-sized noodles made from

starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diet ...

in a semi-frozen syrup containing sugar and rose water. ''Faloodeh'' is often served with lime juice and sometimes ground

pistachios The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food. In 2022, world ...

. In Iran, ''faloodeh'' is sold in ice cream stores and coffee shops in flavors such as pistachio, saffron, rose water, and honey, and can be served alongside bastani sonnati, a traditional Persian ice cream. ''Faloodeh Shirazi'' (), a version from the city of Shiraz, is particularly well-known. In 2023, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts added ''faloodeh''-making to Iran's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

History

The Persian word ''paloodeh'' is derived from the verb ''paloodan'' (), which means "to refine". ''Faloodeh'' is an Arabicized form of ''paloodeh'' that appeared after the Arab conquest of Iran, due to a lack of the

phoneme A phoneme () is any set of similar Phone (phonetics), speech sounds that are perceptually regarded by the speakers of a language as a single basic sound—a smallest possible Phonetics, phonetic unit—that helps distinguish one word fr ...

in Standard

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

. In Arabic medieval sources, it was known as ''faloothaj'' (), for example in Al-Muḥkam wa-al-muḥīt al-aʻẓam. In the 16th to 18th centuries, the Indo-Persian Mughal kings who ruled

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

created a cold dessert beverage called '' falooda'', which is a derivative of ''faloodeh''.. Moreover, the

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

ese desert ''paoluda'' (泡鲁达) also originates from this dessert.

Preparation

A thin batter of

(from potatoes,

arrowroot Arrowroot is a starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock) of several tropical plants, traditionally ''Maranta arundinacea'', but also Florida arrowroot from ''Zamia integrifolia'', and tapioca from cassava (''Manihot esculenta''), which is of ...

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

, or rice) is cooked then pressed through a sieve, producing delicate strings similar to

cellophane noodles Glass noodles, or fensi (), sometimes called cellophane noodles, are a type of transparent noodle made from starch (such as mung bean starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca, or canna (plant), canna starch) and water. They originated ...

that are then chilled in ice water. Afterwards, they are combined with the syrup mixture and rapidly cooled until the syrup is at least half-frozen.

''Faloodeh yazdi''

''Faloodeh yazdi'', also known by the traditional name ''maqutek'' in Yazd province, is a variant of faloodeh, served as a cool drink.

References

Arab desserts Confectionery Frozen desserts Iranian desserts Iranian inventions {{dessert-stub

History

Preparation

''Faloodeh yazdi''

See also

References