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Exquisite Ardabil Souvenirs Are a Mixture of Culture and Elegance
Ardabil is one of the big cities of Iran, which is located in the northwest of the country. As one of the oldest parts of Iran, this city has a rich culture and customs. Therefore, the souvenirs of Ardabil are made with this rich culture. From colorful foods such as local sweets and nutritious and healthy foods to precious handicrafts and various products that date back many years, they have great quality and attractiveness. These souvenirs are so exquisite that you can’t resist the temptation not to buy them! In this article, we are going to introduce the best Ardabil souvenirs.
Ardabil’s Edible Souvenirs
Ardabil foods are more famous among tourists and travelers. They include all kinds of sweet and sour, natural and unnatural foods. For example, Sablan honey is one of the most famous edible souvenirs of Ardabil. In this section, we will introduce the most important types of edible souvenirs of Ardabil.
Sablan Honey: A Souvenir from Ardabil Mountains
Ardabil province is located near the Sabalan Mountain. Therefore, the production of natural honey has flourished in this region and it is called the pole of honey production. Sablan honey is known as a souvenir of Ardabil, which is one of the high-quality honey of Iran. The reason for that is the existence of the field of oregano, acacia, coriander, and thyme flowers.
Honeys of 40 plants, thyme honey, and coriander honey are among the most famous Ardabil souvenirs. The kind of honey produced in Ardabil has many healing properties due to its naturalness and the use of different plants such as coriander and thyme. For example, coriander honey is very appetizing and useful for treating infectious diseases. Sablan honey, as a global brand, is very suitable for Ardabil city souvenirs.
Therefore, confidently answering the question “What are the souvenirs of Ardabil that are refreshing and invigorating?” we can say Sablan honey, which has all these features! If you are looking for the most famous souvenirs of Ardabil and the most natural honey in Iran, never neglect Sablan honey.
Black Halva: One of the Delicious Souvenirs of Ardabil
Ardabil black halva is without exaggeration known as the most famous halva in Iran. This halva is one of the most delicious souvenirs of Ardabil. Black Halva is one of the oldest Halvas 90 years old and is unique to the Ardabil region. This Ardabil souvenir is a mixture of flour, wheat germ, water, edible oil and butter, spices, and natural sweeteners such as grape juice. In the past, Ardabil women cooked black Halva and made it into balls and kept it as food in winter. It is because black Halva has high energy and warmth due to the presence of animal oil and butter and grape or date juice.
This Halva can be stored at the right temperature and place for months without becoming sugary and spoiling. Ardabil black Halvah has properties such as helping digestion and will also be useful for back pain and joint pain. This souvenir of Ardabil is one of the desserts and foods of this city, which, despite the passage of a century since its invention, still retains its traditional recipe.
Ginger Halva: Ardabil’s Aromatic Sweet
Another one of the tastiest souvenirs of Ardabil is the ginger Halva. The foods of Ardabil, due to the location of this city in a cold region, usually have a warm nature. Ginger halva, as one of Ardabil’s souvenirs, also has a warm nature due to the presence of ginger plants in it and is mostly consumed in winter. This Halva is one of the popular sweets of Ardabilis during the month of Ramadan.
Ginger Halva is prepared from flour, animal butter, sugar powder, ginger powder, and saffron. Of course, in some other recipes of this Halva, green cardamom powder, walnuts, and solid, or animal oil are also used. The Ardabil ginger Halva has a high nutritional value and is very nutritious.
Ghorabiyeh Sweet: One of Ardabil’s Scrumptious Souvenirs
Ghorabiyeh is another one of the many delicious Ardabil sweets. It is made from almonds, sugar, and egg whites. Pistachios and almonds are used to decorate this delicious dessert. Ghorabiyeh has many fans because of its crispy and delicious texture. Also, it is one of the popular sweets of Turkish people around the world.
Baklava: One of Ardabil’s Famous Souvenirs
One of the delicious Iranian sweets is Baklava, which is prepared in every city based on the taste of the people of that city. Ardabil Baklava has its method of preparation. Milk, eggs, walnuts, and pistachio powder are used in its preparation. To see the preparation of delicious Baklavas and buy them, it is enough to visit Ardabil pastry shops.
Ardabil’s Eris Chocolate: A Long-Standing Souvenir
The Eris chocolate is a 100-year-old sweet that is one of the most delicious foods in Ardabil. You can buy it as one of the best souvenirs of Ardabil for your friends. Unlike other Ardabil sweets, flour is not used in this sweet. Milk, sugar, sour cream, animal butter, cocoa, and walnuts are used to prepare the Eris sweets. It is one of those souvenirs of Ardabil that cannot be easily passed by!
One of the things that makes Ardabil chocolate more special is its preparation, which takes 24 hours and requires great delicacy and precision. According to the confectioners of Ardabil who cook this sweet, if you neglect it for a moment, what you get will not be the Eris. One of the problems with this candy is the presence of foreign brands producing this chocolate in the markets of Ardabil, which do not have the aroma of the original Ardabil chocolate. If you want to buy the Eris chocolate as a souvenir of Ardabil, be sure to buy it from the confectioneries of this city to taste its real taste.
Kaymak and Delicious Animal Butter of Ardabil
Another souvenir of Ardabil is the fresh and nutritious dairy products of this city. Kaymak and local butter produced in the villages around Ardabil not only have a wonderful taste but are also rich in nutrients. With 60% natural fat, these products are considered one of the best dairy products and are very popular among tourists as Ardabil souvenirs.
Contrary to the opinion of the general public, who think that the fat of animal butter is harmful to health, the local butter of Ardabil has fat-soluble vitamins that are useful for the body. This butter and buttermilk also have some healing properties and provide calcium needed by the body. Buttermilk and animal butter are among the healthy and nutritious products of Ardabil province.
Chouri Sugar; Ardabil’s Sweet Bread
Khalkhal rice bread is one of the popular souvenirs of Ardabil. The main ingredient of this sweet is powdered sugar, and for this reason, it is called Chouri sugar in the local language. This sweet was baked in most homes in the past. But nowadays, due to the difficulty of finding quality powdered sugar, people give up baking it at home. This Ardabil souvenir is mostly used during Nowruz and for entertaining guests.
Since the durability of this sugar is high, you can also buy it as a souvenir and give it to your friends and loved ones in distant locations. Because it is difficult to find high-quality sugar powder nowadays, most people prefer to prepare Chouri sugar from confectioners.
Ardabil Qottab
Although the Yazd Qottab is well-known to all Iranians, Khalkhal also has a unique type of Honey Qottab or “Balatmaz” in the local language. Khalkhal’s Qottab is one of the delicious souvenirs of Ardabil province, which is made with yogurt, eggs and flour, honey, sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and cloves. This delicious food has many fans and can be a popular souvenir for your trip to Ardabil.
Ardabil’s Sunflower Seeds
Another one of the most attractive and popular Iranian foods, which is also considered a souvenir of Ardabil, is sunflower seeds. Sunflower grows in many areas of Ardabil and is one of the most famous souvenirs of this city. It contains vitamins and minerals needed by the body, including vitamins E and B, and is also very useful for relieving muscle cramps.
Fatir Bread
Fatir bread is one of the delicious souvenirs in Ardabil, which is sold industrially all over this province today. Most of the pastry shops in Ardabil have this bread and you can buy it easily. Since no baking soda is used in this bread, Ardabil Fatir is considered very healthy. In Ardabil, Fatir is prepared with sourdough, water, and sugar, and walnuts and cinnamon are used to flavor it. If you buy this bread from Ardabil, be sure to eat it with Sablan honey, butter, and sour cream to enjoy it the most!
Handicraft Ardabil souvenirs
Ardabil, like other cities in Iran, has beautiful arts and crafts that are appreciated by tourists as Ardabil souvenirs. These handicrafts include carpet weaving, Jajim weaving, glass cutting, painting on leather, and many other arts. In the following, we will introduce some of these popular handicrafts of Ardabil city.
Carpet Weaving: One of the Eye-Pleasing Ardabil Souvenirs
Carpet weaving is one of the arts that exists in all cities of Iran. And in each city, according to their culture and customs, different carpets are woven. Ardabil rugs also indicate and represent the cultural characteristics of this region. Ardabil nomads use rugs as underlays, quilts, bed sheets, and some decorative purposes. Also, Ardabil souvenir rugs are two-sided. These colorful rugs and carpets are woven with various patterns and in different dimensions. One of the most common rugs is Ardabil Plas, which is woven with wool and is widely used in nomadic life. You can use Plas as a rug or take Ardabil rugs as a valuable souvenir to your city.
Ojagh Ghoraghi
The nomads of the Mughan Plain in Ardabil weave a woolen fabric called “Ojagh Ghoraghi” in the local language. Ojagh means stove and this woolen fabric is used to protect the main carpet of the room from burns caused by the sparks of the stove. The motifs of the Ojagh Ghoraghi are completely subjective and they are similar to Jajim in terms of texture. In the past, Ojagh Ghoraghis were woven in a horseshoe shape, but nowadays, they are woven in a rectangular shape for ease of work. You can use these fabrics as rugs and carpets.
Traditional instruments: Musical Ardabil Souvenirs
Ardabil is one of the most famous provinces of Iran for making traditional musical instruments. Tonbak, Setar, Santur, and Azari instruments are among the most important instruments made by Ardabil artists. These artists make their instruments from walnut, mulberry, and boxwood with high skill. If you are interested in music, the traditional instruments of Ardabil can be a good souvenir for your trip to this province. Meshkinshahr and Khalkhal are among the leading cities in making traditional instruments in Ardabil province.
Namakdan Weaving
Namakdan-weaving is a cloth used by nomads and people to store and carry salt. Namakdan (meaning salt shaker in Persian) is prepared especially in every part of Iran. Matqali cloth is used as the lining of the salt shaker, and Jajim is used as its top cover.
Leather Painting
One of the traditional and beautiful handicrafts of Ardabil province is painting on leather, which has many uses and has a special beauty. Cream-tanned sheep leather is usually used for painting on leather.
Copper Dishes: One of the Oldest Souvenirs of Ardabil
Ardabilis are considered to be skilled coppersmiths in Iran. That is why coppersmithing is considered one of the most important handicrafts of Ardabil. Ardabil copper dishes are of high quality and can help your food taste better. Some experts in traditional medicine believe that copper vessels have medicinal properties and can cure diseases.
Local dress: One of Long-Lasting Ardabil souvenirs
The local clothes of Ardabil are one of the famous souvenirs of this province, which are sewn by the artists of this region in various designs and colors. The local clothes of Ardabili nomads are an example of the delicate hands of the women of this province.
Buy, Eat, and Take Ardabil Souvenirs with You
Ardabil, like other parts of Iran, has unique souvenirs. Ardabil souvenirs, in addition to the things we mentioned, also include culture and civilization, ways of thinking, and customs that these people have. This city is considered one of the oldest cities and provinces of Iran, which includes many customs, traditions, and beauty.
