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Shallots ↑ not musir
Although many Iranians/Persians say that shallots sold in markets are raw musir, this is not correct. Shallots sold in markets are basically a form of onion. However, musir, Persian shallots (allium stipitatum) taste and smell somewhat like very mild garlic, without giving garlic breath. It adds refreshing flavor to yogurt that takes it to a whole new level!
This ↓ is musir…
(A) Cluster form of Persian shallot, (B) its bulbs longitudinal cuts,
(C) inflorescence and (D) the overall appearance of musir.
I am not aware of fresh musir being sold in markets. However, dried musir is available in Persian or Middle-Eastern specialty markets.
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Dried Musir
Persian Shallots
Yogurt w. Persian Shallots • Mást’o Musir • ماست و موسیر
◊ Soak dried musir in water in a tight lid container for 2+ hours.
◊ Mince 7~9 pieces of soaked musir pieces for every 2 cups of yogurt. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste, mix and refrigerate overnight for it to meld. It goes well with lavash or any Persian bread, and as appetizer or side dish!
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- 0% fat Greek yogurt or thick yogurt of choice
~ Noushe jan • نوش جان ~
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So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?
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Hello, Fae. I’m wondering if you can (or should) combine mast ‘o musir with mast ‘o khiar together. Meaning, would you ever recommend making mast with musir, mint and cucumber all mixed as one dish?
Thanks so much for your insights.
Hi Mia, Thank you for your comment. I have never seen or tried Mast’o Musir with cucumber and mint added to it. It doesn’t mean someone hasn’t tried it. You may have something going here. 🙂 I will try a small sample next time to see if the combination enhances it, and when you try it, will you please get back to me to tell me how you liked it. 🙂
I have made this with fresh shallots and another time with the dried musir. The flavors are very different. My husband and I totally prefer the flavor using the dried musir. Goes to show that not everything persian has an English equivalent.
Hi Laura jan, You are absolutely right. The two tastes are of no comparison. A thick, creamy yogurt and reconstituted musir togather are just a delightful appetizer.
Thank you so much for enlightening everyone as to what musir is NOT…I have had arguments with Iranians about this…unfortunately too many web sites on Persian cooking erroneously say to use a regular shallot…not the same at all.
Ed
Hello Ed, Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I had many same argument. Now I refer people to my blog to see the photo, which I was fortunate to find on the web. Musir has a special, unique fragrance and taste all to itself. To substitute musir with shallot is a ‘sin’. 😀 ))) You are absolutely right!
Fortunately I have a big bag of dried musir from my Iranian family in Tehran. I have some that is rehydrating right now in the fridge for dinner on Sunday. I linked your site on the Peace Corps Iran Association Facebook site. There are a lot of articles about Persian cooking right now. One of them today was about making albalu polo and other kinds of rice. The Iranian lady they were featuring has a restaurant in San Diego and she uses olive oil for her polo and tahdig. I have never heard of an Iranian doing that. I have been connected to Iran for more than 50 years and the taste and smell of roghane haivani cannot be replaced with olive oil. I hope you agree.
Cheers,
Ed
– First, Thank You Very Much for sharing my posts on Persian Peace Corps Iran Association Facebook site. 🙂
– The culinary world is promoting healthier ingredient substitutes, which in some cases are no longer the intended dish. I also try to take the healthier approach, but not when the authenticity of the flavor or the crucial ingredients are compromised. Yes, I agree, nothing will take the place of roghan’e kermanshahi! If only I could get my hands on some. I support everything in moderation, portion control and more physical movement. 🙂 Fae.
Just happened across this post. Maybe interesting to know that fresh musir may be easily available to those with a garden (if you’re not living in an excessively hot or cold climate): Allium stipitatum is a popular ornamental plant that needs to be harvested occasionally so it doesn’t invade the surroundings. According to this study http://dare.uva.nl/document/2/3114 the alliums ‘Mount Everest” and ‘White Giant”‘should be purebred A. stipitatum.
However, there are doubts about whether musir is actually A. stipitatum; the recent studies (e.g. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1560/IJPS.57.4.287) find a Persian lineage included within the “traditional” A. stipitatum that does not seem to belong there, and might correspond to the “true” musir. In this case, instead of A. stipitatum the old name Allium hirtifolium would apply; it is a very close relative to Allium hollandicum – close enough, I suppose, to use the latter instead (it is actually known as “Persian onion” in gardening). In this case, the ‘Purple Sensation’ ornamental is the one to choose, A. hollandicum being essentially a cultivated ornamental form of musir.
Hello Eike, Thank you very much for stopping by and leaving an educational comment. Did I understand you correctly, that Persian shallot/musir is A. hirtifolium rather than A. stipitatum? And, as shown in the photo above, the purple flower is the Persian kind? If so, I will make the correction to my article and add this info received from you. Appreciate your time. 🙂
Looks wonderful Fae!
Oh, this looks wonderful.I will have to look for them.Unfortunately,I have to go out-of-town for most foreign foods. Thanks so much for all of your support,Fae;I will be getting to acknowledging the awards ASAP.
Hi Fae, I wonder if I can find dried musir {Persian shallots} locally? I am researching 🙂
I love the look of the plant and am intrigued! Looks deliciously unique 🙂
I am certain you can find in Mediterranean/Persian markets. Sadaf (photo in the post) is a good brand, and so is Golchin.
This is so delicious! Thank you for posting the recipe.
Yummy 🙂
This is fascinating, Fae. I’m going to be on the lookout for Persian shallots – fresh or dried.
Sounds good! Musir has this delightful appetizing smell (garlic’i and yet not), which fresh shallots don’t (they basically smell like onion).
Sounds delicious! I cannot get Persian food where I live, but my brother in Paris lives in a street which is nicknamed “Little Tehran” as there are many Persian food stores and restaurants. He supplies me with dried limes, spices, and pomegranate molasses. I should ask him to check out whether Musir is available! Thank you for the discovery
Thank you, Sweet Darya. If you ever have any questions re Persian ingredients, feel free to ask me. If I don’t know the answer, I will find it for you.