Naz Deravian on tahdig: “It’s magic every time.”

Last year, Naz Deravian came out with a terrific book called Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories. And if you know just one thing about Persian food, you probably know what that title is about; it's about the crispy part of the rice, called tahdig, that you find at the bottom of the pot or the top of the rice once it has flipped out of the pot and onto a serving dish. Deravian writes about tahdig so beautifully that Francis Lam wanted to learn more about why it matters so much in Persian culture and cuisine. You must try her recipe for Chelo ba Tahdig (Steamed Persian Rice with Tahdig). It’s a wonderfully detailed recipe, but like Deravian says, there’s always a little bit of luck in getting it perfect. Good luck!