Exploring the world's most delectable puddings

Treats that go by the name 'puddings', with sholeh zard, a Persian delicacy featuring rice and saffron, are regarded as one of the most delectable.

The prestigious culinary guide, Taste Atlas, recently released a ranking of the world's tastiest puddings. Among the top was the traditional Thai dessert khao niao mamuang, prepared with sticky rice that is initially steamed and then immersed in sweetened coconut milk, and served with fresh mango slices.

The Puerto Rican dessert tembleque also earned high praise. Its main ingredients are cornstarch, coconut milk, sugar, and cinnamon. The Turkish pudding fırın sütlaç was also well-received. It's made with water, milk, sugar, rice, and rice flour and enhanced with either rose water or vanilla. Before serving, it's finished off with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or chopped hazelnuts.

However, the unmatched winner was sholeh zard, a dessert originating from ancient Persia. This creamy and aromatic pudding is still made following traditional recipes passed down in Iranian families across generations.

Despite its exotic origins, sholeh zard can be easily made at home as all the ingredients are readily available in shops. Sholeh zard can lighten up a chilly autumn or winter evening…

The exceptional flavour and aroma of the Iranian dessert predominantly come from saffron, a spice long revered in Iranian cuisine. To produce just one kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of saffron, up to 170,000 flowers are harvested by hand and then dried. Given the extensive labor involved, saffron has been considered the most costly raw material for plants worldwide for centuries. Historically, there were efforts to counterfeit this valuable spice, sometimes using the orange-yellow petals of marigold, calendula, or Dyer's safflower, practices that were often met with harsh penalties.

Saffron is also recognized for its remarkable nutritional benefits, and it is celebrated by ancient scholars such as Hippocrates, Galen, and Paracelsus. It's known to stimulate appetite and assist with digestion. Moreover, it's an effective antispasmodic, antipyretic, and diaphoretic substance. Additionally, it's reputed to be an aphrodisiac that boosts libido in both females and males.

Recent research has demonstrated that saffron's components can inhibit the production of nucleic acids, thereby curbing the division of cancer cells, which helps lower cancer risk. This aromatic spice also helps regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels, preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Consumption of saffron can also enhance the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the body, neurotransmitters often called "happiness hormones," as their adequate levels influence mood and aid in managing depression, anxiety, or excessive nervous tension.

Another crucial ingredient for sholeh zard is rice, with jasmine rice from Southeast Asia being the ideal choice. The term "jasmine" pertains to the long, snow-white grains that resemble the intensely fragrant flowers of the bush. While cooking, these grains release a pleasant and delicate aroma akin to jasmine flowers.

Rinse jasmine rice (1 cup) several times with cold water, then cover it with boiling water (about 1.4 litres) and simmer (uncovered) for 1 hour and 15 minutes without stirring. The rice should be sufficiently soft by this point (to test, squeeze a grain between your thumb and index finger; it should crumble).

Add boiling water (about 475 ml), sugar (2 cups), rose water (about 60 ml), and saffron (1/4 teaspoon), previously soaked in warm milk for half an hour. Cook for around 5 minutes until the mixture thickens, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Transfer the pudding into small cups and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then, chill it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Serve sholeh zard sprinkled with ground cinnamon and chopped pistachios or almonds, and garnish with a few dried rose petals.