The Temporary Bride – A Memoir of Love and Food in Iran

Travel Guide

A single white, woman travelling out to Iran in order to discover the land and its food. But so so different to what she had ever experienced before.

Having found a family she could learn to cook with, Jennifer jumps right in and immerses herself in every part of the culture and family life. This is not a Western Woman showing her superior knowledge or disrespect for another culture. Jennifer wants to immerse herself and be one of them and the results are astounding.

The food is the main star of the show – from the mountains of mint and parsley, to the soft, fluffy rice unique to Iran, even the sheep head soup – it’s one heck of a culinary journey

“Iranian rice is unlike any other. It isn’t boiled or steamed or thrown unceremoniously into a rice cooker. Iranian rice is first soaked and bathed like a Hindu princess, rinsed in three changes of just warm water”

“Each grain is perfectly separate and served piled high like wedding confetti, adorned with streaks of bright yellow saffron and dotted with a final loving pat of yet more butter, But the best part is yet to come:the tahdig.”

But the rest of Iran is not as easy to discover. From the plane landing and the whole plane adapting to the Iranian dress code before they even set foot on Iranian soil.
Iran –  where the women cover their heads, cook many a traditional dish for their men and need a man’s permission to do anything outside of the home.Where if your scarf slips, or just because you look or act a little different, the Morality Police will be hot on your tail.

Meeting Vahid – Jennifer felt  as if he was rude and arrogant and he had similar suppressions of her. But as they walk around the markets and side streets of Yazd, he shows her the culinary side to a country that she discovers greatly due to his care and status as an Iranian man.

Around the back streets of Yazd, and other Iranian towns with even a visit to Yemen, the unusual descriptions and sensations of the food here jump off the page so you can almost taste them. Sheep head soup anyone? What about that spicy dish you can taste with the words Jennifer writes about the local people there. Oh and we guarantee you’ll be wanting to see if the fuss about Iranian rice is true.