Gojeh Sabz ~ Persian Sour Plums
Do you have any fond childhood memories that involve food? I do. Many. I always get that fuzzy feeling inside any time I see or taste something that I loved in my childhood. Back in the days when I was a kid, there were a couple of things that I looked forward to as winter would come to an end making way for spring. Hands down, spring is my favorite time of the year. You see, there is the Persian New Year Norouz, then 20 days after it there is my birthday, the trees and flowers start blossoming, and Gojeh Sabz is in season. That last one in itself was a huge deal. Everyone looked forward to when they were in season because every loves Gojeh Sabz. If you are Persian and you don’t like them, then there is something wrong with you. Can I be any more judgemental???!! Seriously….
Gojeh Sabz is actually sour plums which have not fully riped. They are sour and delicious! During this time of the year I buy them from our local Persian Grocery store. Much to my delight while I was at the Farmers Market in Torrance yesterday there was a vendor who was selling them. How awesome is that?I just stood in front of the tables and had a moment of happiness with me myself and I.
The way we eat them is with a little pinch of salt. The combination of sour and salty is just out of this world good! It will make you giggle!!!
All you have to do is take a little bite, then sprinkle a little salt, take another bite, another sprinkle of salt and another bite….next thing you know you have gone through a whole bunch of them, because they are just like potato chips, you just can’t quite them! The only issue is that if you eat too many of them you might get a little stomachache. 🙂 Or at least that’s what my mom always told me.
Last night my friend Kumar came over and guess what he showed up with? A bag of Gojeh Sabz from…you know WHERE? The Santa Monica Farmers Market! He handed me the bag telling me that he didn’t know if I knew what they were but he bought them for me. DO I NOT KNOW WHAT they are??!! I think I may have scared him with my reaction. Well probably not, he has known me long enough!
So I was talking to my mom today and telling her about all the Gojeh Sabz that I have. At the same time I was gearing up and making my grocery list for a recipe which also includes Gojeh Sabz. My mom told me about a Persian dish that I had never heard of and so my dear readers tomorrow is going to be a marathon cooking day as I will be making two recipes! Woohoo! Stay tuned, I am on a roll here!
May 14, 2009
Hello and I’m so glad to have found your blog!
I love to cook Persian food, but I often don’t stray from the new recipes that I know. You’ve inspired me to try some new ones, so I’ll be back, for sure.
I hope you can visit my blog sometime: http://www.persianchyld.blogspot.com
It is a blog about memory and being half-Iranian in the US. Also, I’ll be wanting to post some recipes occasionally, so I’d like to post your blog on mine.
Keep it up!
Roia
May 17, 2009
Hello,
I’ve linked to your blog from mine – I love what you’re doing. Keep it up!
May 17, 2009
Would you write about preparing raw almonds? My grandmother used to eat them with salt but I don’t know how she prepared them.
Thanks!
May 17, 2009
Hello Roia,
funny you should ask me about that. I just finished writing a post about raw almonds and I am going to publish it shortly.
May 17, 2009
Thanks so much Roia. It is fun and delicious! 🙂
June 7, 2010
hey,
I just found your website and I am looking for some recipies to try out 😉 and I wanted to tell you that they have the same plums here, in Turkey, and they eat it exactly the same way 🙂 I am neither Persian, nor Turkish, so (sorry to say) I hate those plums with or without salt (I probably hate them more WITH salt ;))) ), but my boyfriend loves them and can eat a looooot :)))
greetings from Istanbul
O.
May 10, 2012
Hi there. I am an American who lived in Teheran from 1974 to 1978. I loved these. I’d buy them from the street vendors outside the gates at Community where I went to school.
This brought back memories. Thanks!
May 20, 2012
They eat raw almonds in Palestine too. Just washed, whole and dipped in salt. Delicious!
January 31, 2013
I like goje sabz with salt .
we don’t have goje sabz in UK 🙁
April 5, 2013
Just found this blog, and I have to say, while not Persian, I absolutely ADORED these and ate them by the bagful when I lived in Tehran. Unfortunately, it’s been close to 35 years since I was last able to indulge in any Persian treat other than pomegranate juice (provided by the Kiwi equivalent of a kuche store owner until the quakes in 2011), and I’m gonna have to work to get the Kiwi hubby to even consider trying Persian cooking.
May 17, 2014
We, Persians, like everything subacid, not just foods. Anyway, I would kill myself for gojeh saaaaaaaabz.
June 13, 2014
Do you know where I could order these. Live in NC and am unable to find a world grocery store that would offer this amazing fruit.
June 13, 2014
Anush, I have no idea where you can order them online…I have only seen them at Persian stores and every so often at the Farmers Market is Los Angeles.
February 22, 2017
I love Goje Sabz with sprinkle of salt