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Ahwaz Souvenirs Remind You of Your Fond Memories
Traveling to a tropical city in the winter is really enjoyable. Ahwaz is one of these cities. The tourist attractions of Ahwaz with warm-blooded and hospitable people, delicious food, and of course various souvenirs, will make a pleasant trip for you. While in Ahwaz, you will definitely come across many markets that sell all kinds of colorful souvenirs. And as a tasteful tourist, you cannot leave Ahwaz without buying souvenirs. Don’t you want to return empty-handed from your trip? You may ask yourself, what are Ahwaz souvenirs? In this article, we are going to introduce Ahwaz souvenirs.
Edible Souvenirs of Ahwaz
Edibles have always been the first choice for souvenirs. A variety of delicious foods are sold as souvenirs in Ahwaz. From dates and products made with dates to fish and spices, there is an assortment of souvenirs in Ahwaz markets to choose from.
Types of dates
Probably, when the name of the dates is mentioned, the first thing that comes to your mind is the additional dates inside the package that is sold in supermarkets and stores. But this sweet and lovely fruit has many varieties.
Dates are the fruit of the palm tree, which is found abundantly in the south of Iran. That is why it is one of the most famous souvenirs of Ahwaz and you can bring different types of them as souvenirs. The most interesting feature of dates is that you can make other delicious foods by processing them such as date juice, date coffee, date sugar, and many others.
Esta’meran and Khazravi Dates
Esta’meran (meaning colony) dates are one of the sweetest dates, with a sugar content of about 75%. Despite this amount of sweetness, its color is dark brown, tending to black and red. Esta’meran dates have good calories, that’s why they are suitable for athletes. Khazrawi dates are one of the sweet and soft dates in the south of the country, which at first have an orange-brown color and then turn light brown.
Zahedi and Barhi Dates
Zahedi date is a type of semi-dry date that has a special aroma and taste. Its soft and shiny skin is light brown and its flesh is yellow. This date is less sweet than other dates, but its fiber content is high. Barhi dates are small and have a crunchy texture and a sweet and hearty taste. This yellow date is very long-lasting and has a strong flavor.
Shekari Dates
Shekari (sugary) dates are crunchy and sweet and have many nutrients. The special feature that distinguishes this date is its healing properties. Sugar dates lower cholesterol, relieve body fatigue, and prevent tooth decay despite being very sweet.
Gantar, Kabkab, and Pyaram Dates
Gantar dates are brown, semi-dry, and oval-shaped with a small kernel. This date has a high shelf life. Kabkab dates have thick skin and a lot of juice. However, it is classified as semi-dry dates. Pyaram dates are semi-dry and late dates. Pyaram is suitable for diabetics due to its fructose content, and for this reason, it is considered the most expensive date in Iran.
Date Coffee and Date Sugar
Date coffee is one of the most popular souvenirs of Ahwaz. This coffee is made by grinding date kernels. Date coffee contains various vitamins and nutrients such as iron, zinc, manganese, and vitamins E and A. It reduces the symptoms of allergic diseases and soothes the nerves, is full of fiber, improves the digestive system, and relieves constipation. So, if you want to lose weight, don’t forget date coffee as a souvenir of Ahwaz on your trip to the south.
Date sugar is made from date juice and pulp in the form of sugar cubes, therefore it has the same benefits as dates. These palm sugars have a lot of minerals and iron, they are energizing and eliminate body fatigue. In addition, they have anti-cancer properties. You can find these Ahwaz souvenirs ready and packaged in Ahwaz markets.
Dates Extract
As we said before, many products are produced from dates, all of which are part of Ahwaz’s souvenirs. Date juice is one of these foods. Date juice is full of nutritional value. If you eat it with breakfast, you will have energy for the whole day. It is rich in vitamins, protein, folic acid, and iron reduces blood cholesterol, strengthens bones, and relieves constipation.
Ranginak: One of Popular Ahwaz Souvenirs
Ranginak (meaning colorful) is a delicious sweet dessert and a souvenir of Ahwaz, which is easy to prepare. This hearty and delicious sweet is actually a type of halva that is topped with dates and walnuts.
To prepare it, you need flour, dates, walnuts, cardamom, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and butter. They take out the kernels of dates and replace them with walnuts. The rest of the ingredients are made like Halva and put on dates. Finally, they decorate with sugar powder, cinnamon, pistachio powder, and coconut.
Halva Ardeh
Halva Ardeh (meaning sesame paste) or Sugary Halva is one of the most nutritious souvenirs of Ahwaz. Dates do not play a role in this sweet. Sugary Halva is prepared from sesame, sugar, cardamom, Choobak, walnut kernels, and pistachios. Sesame is ground and made into a paste, and after processing it becomes sugar halva.
Citrus Fruits: Some of the Best Souvenirs of Ahwaz
Maybe when the name of citrus fruits is mentioned, you unconsciously remember the north of Iran, but the gardens of the south produce the best citrus fruits. From a trip to Ahwaz, you can bring a variety of citrus fruits, such as the local Dezfouli orange, different types of tangerines (pearl, kino, tangelo, mineola), sweet lemons, oranges, grapefruits, stone lemons, and Valencia oranges, as souvenirs.
Kalicheh: One of the Most Delicious Ahwaz Souvenirs
Dates again, this time in the form of Kalicheh. This delicious and nutritious sweet is a souvenir of Ahwaz, which has many fans. But it may not be known by the name of Kalicheh. Kalicheh is actually the same date cookie in the local language. To make this cookie, they make a dough with flour, cumin, and oil. The cookies are made into the desired shape and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Then they cook in the oven.
Fish: A Famous Souvenir of Ahwaz
Southern fish with their special taste have always been popular. So, maybe you would like to bring fish with you as a souvenir of Ahwaz. Sefid halvah, Sorkhou, Rashkou, Shourideh, Shang, Sang Sar, Mish, Hamour, Sabour, Qobad, and Shir are good choices. In the following, you will get to know some of them in more detail.
Halva fish is white meat and has no blade. Its white meat is very tasty and is a good choice for those who have stomach acid and digestive problems, as it is easy to digest. The Sang Sar (stone-head) fish has the shape of a book with many bones. Usually, this fish is grilled or fried and used for fish roe, a traditional dish in Ahwaz.
Shir fish has pink flesh and is very delicious. You don’t have to worry about eating this fish because its meat is without a blade. Make this fish any way it is delicious – whether grilled, fried, or steamed.
Shourideh (salted) fish has white and slightly sharp meat, which becomes very soft and delicious after cooking. Sorkhou fish is very similar to Sang Sar, with the difference that its meat is softer and whiter. This fish is eaten fried or in fish roe.
Rashkou fish has white and soft meat and is delicious no matter how you cook it. Qobad fish has tender, white, and fatty meat and it is eaten grilled, steamed, or fried. The only drawback of this fish is that it loses its freshness quickly. Hamour fish is one of the first-class fish in the south with a glazing skin. This fish is used for frying, preparing fish roe, and grilling.
Spice Up Your Dishes with Ahwaz Spices as Souvenirs!
One of the most colorful souvenirs of Ahwaz is southern spices. Southerners are very fond of spices, especially hot spices. For this reason, they are masters in making all kinds of spices. The most famous of these spices are Indian curry, turmeric, stewed curry, chicken and fish curry, and pickled spices.
Handicrafts: Long-Lasting Ahwaz Souvenirs
No matter how attractive the foods are as souvenirs, they are not permanent. If you want to take a lasting souvenir from Ahwaz, choose one of Ahwaz’s handicrafts. Don’t know about them? Read on to find your favorite souvenir.
Kilim Weaving
A Kilim is a type of floor covering that has threads and textures like a carpet but without fluff. These beautiful floor coverings are woven from woolen, cotton, silk, or hemp thread. The Arab villagers of Ahwaz are among those who weave Kilims. They weave Kilims of woolen yarn with geometric designs and colors of green, orange, pink, red, navy, white, and blue. The price of these hand-woven kilims is a bit high. But if you want to take the beauty of Ahwaz as a souvenir, don’t forget the kilim.
Woodturning: Ahwaz’s Wooden Souvenirs
Wood and wooden items will give special peace and beauty to your home and your loved ones. Make the woodturning works a part of Ahwaz’s souvenirs. Woodturning is cutting and shaping wood. Carpenter artists make all kinds of decorative and practical items from simple wood with special tools and the ability of their hands. They range from statues and vases to cradles and candlesticks. This art is very prosperous in Behbahan and Dezfoul in Khuzestan and is distributed throughout the province.
Toreutics Products
During your trip to Ahwaz, you must have seen metal objects made of copper, gold, silver, and brass with beautiful patterns engraved on them. This art is called Toreutics. Female pen artists create very beautiful works by hitting the pen with a hammer. Although this art is not specific to Ahwaz and Khuzestan province, it is considered one of the souvenirs of Ahwaz.
Bouriya-Woven Products
Straw mats are widely used in the villages of Khuzestan province. These underlays are called Bouriya. Sometimes they are even used as covers for houses. Bouriya is made from marsh reeds, which grow a lot in Khuzestan province. Although Bouriya is mostly woven for consumption by local people, you can buy it from local vendors and take it back to your city as a souvenir.
Robe-woven Souvenirs
Traditional clothes are very popular among people in the south of the country including robes. Today, robe weaving is done in the cities of Soosangerd, Shoushtar, and Behbahan in Khuzestan province. You can get black, gray, tan, and milk-colored robes with thin threads for summer (Hele) and thick threads for winter (Chancheh) as Ahwaz souvenirs.
Enamel on Gold
Enamel is an artistic work to beautify jewelry (bracelets, pendants, necklaces, brooches, earrings, and rings). For enamel on gold, they first put a design on the gold plates and then pour the enamel powder on it and heat it until it turns into a glaze.
It may be interesting to know that the only metal that does not oxidize when the enamel is melted is gold. For this reason, it is possible to make a design with all the details on it. The art of enameling in Ahwaz is exclusive to John the Baptist’s followers. Their enamel designs are derived from the native culture and traditions of the region and Mesopotamia. They have designs such as palm trees, boats, and camel caravans.
Ihrami Weaving
Ihrami is a type of fabric that has a cotton thread and wool weft. This fabric is woven in navy blue, yellow, green, white, orange, red, and other colors. You can take the handmade Ihrami as a souvenir of Ahwaz.
Deshdasheh: An Ahwaz Souvenir for Men
If you want to take a unique souvenir from Ahwaz with you, Deshdasheh is a good choice. The Deshdasheh is the local clothes of Khuzestan men. These dresses are long and white and have a special value for the Ahwaz people because besides showing their culture and tradition, they are very cool.
Kapu: One of the Woven Ahwaz Souvenirs
Kapu weaving is a type of woven mat that is woven from the leaves and young stems of the palm tree. With the help of these leaves and stems, Khuzestan artists make all kinds of containers to store dates, sugar, chocolate, and other supplies and decorate these containers with colored yarns.
A Trip to Ahwaz Can Be Very Enjoyable
Ahwaz, like other cities in Iran, is full of tourist attractions and has special and attractive souvenirs. Thanks to the presence of beautiful scenery, well-equipped hotels, natural attractions, as well as luxurious restaurants in this city, the number of visitors to this city is increasing every day. If you are traveling to Ahwaz, we wish you a pleasant trip.
