Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Persian Green Plum Tree - Goje Sabz


Address:10943 De Soto Avenue Chatsworth CA 91311
Ph: (818) 701-5656


In Iran the arrival of Spring is celebrated extensively as the Persian new year coincides with the Spring Equinox.  As spring progresses, gradually blossoms turn into fruit. One of the highlights of spring fruit is the arrival of Persian Green Plums.  This variety of plums is picked when they are still green.  They are indeed extremely popular amongst Iranian children and adults alike. The perfect Persian Green plum is crunchy when bitten into, yet juicy with a pleasant tart flavor.  It’s pretty much impossible to not get hooked after the first one.    

 This variety of plum is well known in the Middle East. The tree itself is relatively small and thrives in locations with cooler winter temperatures while the tree is dormant. The fruit at the time of harvest is green, round and small.  If not harvested during its green stage, the plums eventually turn into a deep golden color. At this point these small plums turn soft, juicy, and sweet. The variety of Persian Green Plum trees sold at Paradise Nursery is from the northern Iranian city of Tabriz.
 

The Persian Green plum is delicious when eaten raw with a sprinkle of salt.  Additionally, Persian Green Plums are also used in Persian cuisine to enhance some dishes’ flavor with their pleasant tart taste. A popular dish that tastes best when cooked with Sour Plums is Koofteh Tabrizi, a large round stuffed meat loaf simmered in beef broth with a handful of green plums added to it. Additionally, cooking the Green Plums with cubes of lamb, parsley, and mint makes for a delicious Khoresh, Persian stew, which is then served over Persian rice.