A taste of Iran

Tonight I watched a great documentary on BBC4 called 'A taste of Iran'. Cheesy title aside, this is a celebratory, personal exploration of his beloved homeland by BBC journalist Sadeq Saba.

Ignoring politics in favour of pomegranates, the documentary follows Sadeq on his journey through the country, delighting in the warm, exhuberant Persian hospitality of the people he meets on the way. Every dish sampled comes with a story, like the Esfahari cuisine prepared by his sister - called 'Moshti' meaning 'handful' and referring to the warmth that is transmitted from your heart to the food as you eat it with your hands. Or the sweet bundles of candyfloss in the stone-baked city of Yazd which comes with a strict instruction to stuff the whole lot in your mouth, not like those foreigners who come and pick at it because they are worried about becoming fat, as the seller laughs disapprovingly.

As the world's media and politicians scrutinise Iran over its nuclear ambitions, it's so refreshing to see a glimpse of ordinary everyday Iranians and their beautiful country. And what better example of the real insight that can be achieved about a place through nothing more complicated than sharing food, conversation and laughs. Those UN inspectors could learn a thing or two...