Discover Persian Culture Through Its Desserts

Forbes

05-06-2025

Pastry chef Farshid Hakim.
I've always been a fan of Persian food. Ravagh is a restaurant in my neigborhood that's one of my favorite places to eat and serves authentic Persian cuisine. As much as I love the kebabs, rices, and hearty stews, I've never known much about Persian desserts.
That changed recently when I was introduced to Farshid Hakim, a dynamic Persian pastry chef who owns La Provence Patisserie & Cafe, a French bakery in Beverly Hills. He opened a second location in Palm Desert last year. I asked him how sweets figure into his Persian roots and influence his sweet creations. I also asked him if he could share a recipe that is easy for novice home cooks to follow and marry Persian and French flavors.
Farshid came up with a gorgeous Saffron Crème Brulee with edible rose petals, which is much simpler to pull off than it sounds.
Our interview and the recipe follow. I invite you to discover a piece of this fascinating culture by getting into the kitchen and bringing Farshid's creation to life.
How does your Persian background play into your career?
Studying pastry making in France was everything I dreamed of- immersive, inspiring, and creatively fulfilling. Yet, I've found that my Persian heritage, with its deep-rooted emphasis on hospitality, entrepreneurship, and attention to detail, has shaped my instincts more towards the business side of my career. It's a cultural lens that values aesthetics, relationships, and strategic thinking- all of which naturally inform how I approach the building and running of a business.
What is the significance of desserts in the Persian culture?
Desserts in Persian culture carry significance far beyond just ending a meal. They are steeped in tradition and hospitality. Offering sweets to guests is a time-honored tradition in Persian homes. Serving tea with shirini (sweets) is a gesture of warmth, generosity, and welcome.
Can you name some Persian desserts?
Here's a list of traditional Persian desserts that showcase the elegance, flavor balance, and cultural richness of the cuisine. You will find saffron, a key ingredient to Persian sweets, unmatched for it's aroma and golden hue, in many of the following:
Sholeh Zard: A fragrant, golden rice pudding with saffron, rosewater, and cardamom.
Sohan: A crunchy, saffron-infused toffee candy
Zooloubia: a spiraled fritter soaked in saffron and rosewater syrup
Halvah: A rich, comforting dessert made from toasted flour, sugar, saffron, and butter
How do these desserts reflect Persian culture?
These desserts and their ingredients beautifully reflect the essence of Persian cuisine which is rooted in balance, beauty, tradition, and a deep respect for the sensory experience.
Persian cuisine aims to balance sweet, sour, warm and cold - not just in taste but in how ingredients affect the body, according to traditional food philosophy "garm/sard" (warm/cold) similar to the Chinese Ying/Yang.
Rather than relying on heavy sweetness, Persian desserts are lightly sweetened and perfumed with aromatics like rosewater, cardamom, and saffron.
Serving sweets, especially alongside tea is an act of welcoming and honor tied holidays, ceremonies and spiritual rituals.
In Summary, Persian desserts embody the broader principles of Persian cuisine: balance, subtlety, seasonality, symbolism and hospitality. Each dish tells a story, not just of ingredients but of worldview that values grace, tradition and the joy of sharing.
Any hacks for making the crème brulee as perfect as yours?
This recipe is wonderfully straightforward, and if you follow it closely you'll have perfect results with ease.
Farshid Hakim's Saffron Crème Brulee with edible rose petals
Saffron Crème Brulee
with edible rose petals
Yield: Six 4-ounce ramekins
Ingredients:
1.5 Cups heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup sugar, plus more for crispy coating
1 pinch salt
1 pinch of Saffron
1 vanilla bean paste removed
A few edible rose petals you can buy at a better market
Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and put a few cups of water in it to boil. This will be used for a water bath.
-In a pestle and mortar, crush saffron leaves until powdered. Add two tablespoons of boiling water and let sit.
-Add egg yolks, sugar, and salt to a bowl and whisk until the yolks break down.
-Add heavy cream and vanilla paste to a saucepan over low heat, stir until cream starts to simmer, not boil.
-Once the cream is simmering, slowly pour about a fourth of it into the egg yolk mixture while continuing to whisk. This will temper the eggs so they don't curdle. Then add the remaining cream and whisk gently until combined.
-Add saffron water to the mix and stir, let cool.
-Divide the mixture equally between 6 four-ounce ramekins
-Place ramekins inside a larger oven-proof container and carefully add boiling water. Fill enough water so it goes halfway up the height of the ramekins.
-Carefully place the container inside the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the crème brulees are set around the edges but still have a wobble in the middle when gently shaken.
-Immediately transfer the ramekins to the fridge and cool overnight or for at least 4 hours.
-Sprinkle a thin layer of granulated sugar on each ramekin and use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. It should become a deep brown color. Hold the torch at a 45-degree angle
-Break up some of the rose petals and place them on top of the brulees.
-Serve and enjoy