Sirjan is one of the pistachio-growing areas of Iran, and Kerman pistachio has a special taste that has made it one of the most valuable commercial products of this province. Eating pistachios is very common and popular in Sirjan. In this article, we read about pistachios and the culture of Sirjan people.
Harvesting and picking pistachios
In Sirjan, the harvest, or as they call it, "green pistachio," begins in late September and continues until late November, which is the month of "pistachio picking." In the past, pistachio owners would go to the orchards a few days before the harvest began, settle in their residential buildings, which usually had two mud-brick rooms and a dividing wall called a "sofa," and start picking pistachios. Based on the need for manpower, a group of men, women, and children would be called "pistachio picking crews," and the "pistachio picking" day would be determined, and the workers would work together with the "foremen." Children, who were lighter and could climb trees easily, would be used to pick pistachios from the branches of old trees. Women helped collect and pick the clusters, and men, in addition to picking, were responsible for transporting the pistachio shipments.
The primary tools of the job were two large pieces of cloth called "javand" and a pistachio cleaning curtain made of thick cotton cloth called "nashur" that the workers would take to the orchard, spread the curtain under the trees so that the pistachios picked by hand could be thrown into it; then men called "kolekon" would carry the collected pistachios on their backs and carry them to the main location. If the distance from the pistachio picker to the place where the pistachios were cleaned was long, the loads would be placed on the backs of donkeys. The pistachios would be dumped in a small area for cleaning, which was enclosed on three sides by a half-wall.
After the pistachios were picked, the owner or foreman would set a day for the workers to "clean" them. On this day, only workers, i.e. the pistachio pickers and the owner, would go to the orchards and collect the remaining pistachios, whether on the tree or on the ground, for themselves, and other people were prevented from entering. The strictness of some foremen and supervisors in picking pistachios was to the point that often there were no pistachios left to shell, and the workers would often return empty-handed from shelling.
Peeling pistachios
In Sirjan, peeled pistachios were washed in oval-shaped earthenware containers called "javiyeh" and spread on large screens called "parsa" spread over a pistachio peeling platform to dry in the sun. The person who washed the pistachios was called "pistesh-shour", and the workers who only picked the pistachios were called "pistechin". Pistachios whose shells were not removed by the blows of the "ketino" were called "kalu", and peeled pistachios were called "laqo". The act of separating these two types of pistachios was called "separating kalu from laqo". Pistachios whose shells could be removed without being hit by hand and did not require washing were also called "hand-shelled pistachios," and this type of pistachio was the best and most desirable type.
While peeling the pistachios, workers would "group" the pistachios together, which was sometimes suggested by the foreman or supervisor to speed up the work, and the person who scored points in this bet would be given an extra wage or a bonus. The workers were paid after the harvest and in proportion to their work; some owners would also give the workers a certain amount of pistachios in addition to their wages.
Dried pistachios were also stored in warehouses, either packaged or unpackaged, to be sold at the appropriate time.
Agricultural Terms
After the pistachio harvest, the orchards were irrigated and this water was called "pistachio wound water". Small and young pistachio trees are called "noche, komor", pruning trees is called "patar", a row of trees is called "ras", and a boundary is called "kezbandi". A pistachio that dries up and does not bear fruit due to the heat of the day and the cold of the night is called "daghu", a pest that causes the leaves to die is called "reyo", a pistachio with a closed mouth is called "makhlut", a pistachio that is placed on water during washing is called "roabi", and a hollow pistachio is called "peste puto".
Pistachios in Sirjani Culture and Cuisine
In Sirjan, on the tenth day after giving birth, midwives mix a mixture of pistachio kernels, almond kernels, cherries, sour cherries, peaches, apricots, and roasted and pounded apricots with egg yolk, cow's oil, cardamom, and white cardamom to strengthen the labor process, and apply it to the woman's hair and head.
Sirjani people make pistachio yogurt from pistachios whose woody skins have not yet hardened and the kernels have not been removed. In addition, in many cities in Iran, such as Birjand and Sirjan, they make pickles and jam from pistachio skins.
Dreaming of pistachios in the beliefs of the people of Sirjan
The people of Sirjan interpret seeing pistachios in a dream as closed talk, and the meaning of closed talk is a topic or conversation that has not yet been made public, which is reminiscent of the proverb that says, "If a pistachio without a kernel opens its mouth, it will be disgraced."
Source:
Center of the Great Islamic Encyclopedia