Arba-Tima Festival in Talysh and Gilan- Part 3/3

This is part 3 in series of three articles, Part1 & Part2

Arba-Tima in Talysh Culture

“Həm Giloni ərba dələkimə, həm bəğdadi xorma ko.”

Which means I missed both wild persimmon of Gilan and Dates of Baghdad. This used in situations when one intended to hit two birds with one stone but missed both. Though Arba hold an important place in Talysh cuisine it has very important cultural implications in Talysh.

Arba-Tima festival is a great demonstration of old and deeply-rooted tradition of cooperation in Talysh. Cooperation -in its meaning within realm of eastern culture and mind- is deemed as a virtue and means “collaboration of diverse units towards accomplishing common goals.” Here, interests of both individuals and collectives are equally important, thus, neither individuals nor collectives are prone to exploitation. There are certain mechanisms by which fair distribution of shares are guaranteed. For instance, It is customary in Talysh that the person who cooperated more, or spent more hours attending oven, or collected more fruit from the forest will have more share of Deshav. This mechanism prevents exploitation and ensures justice and fairness among parties involved in Arba-tima or Deshav making. Cooperation culture in Talysh- as a concept and theory- have other implications such as nation build, nonetheless, it is beyond scope of this article.

In contrast to meaning and implications of cooperation in Talysh culture, in western culture and in individualistic cultures such as persian’s, cooperation is not a virtue. Such societies and cultures emphasize on individual’s personal attributes and encourages individuals to highlight their personal qualities in any opportunity given. These cultures encourage competition between team members or short-term alliance, provided that it guarantees self-interest of the individual. Cooperation here means “working with others to achieve your own goals” which entails rivalry among group members .This, thus, does not allow interpersonal interactions to work towards accomplishing a shared goal in which group and individuals’ good is simultaneously secured. To these cultures (minds) cooperating with others exposes them to exploitation which is not desired.

məqə şımə dışav viyə? [Translation: did you spill your dushab? ]

This proverb is often used when there is a clamor in parts of house or gatherings. The proverb derived from the reaction Talyshan give when part of deshab is spilled in its making process around oven. In such cases, people involved in deshab making would express their disappointment and unhappiness via making statements that is often accompanied with loud and sorrowful speeches.

Traditionally and culturally, how Talyshan value an action or product is based on the amount of labor and effort put in its making which is regardless of its monetary value and so on. however, modern-consumerist values as result of heavy assimilation & acculturation of Talysh into turkish and persian has substituted Talyshan's value system with their own. This is another distinctive cultural values of Talyshan.

Finally, it is customary in Talysh to greet and wish good luck for people engaging in Deshav making. A passerby would say "Deshavre shirin" [ May your deshav become sweet] to the people whom are working in Deshav making. and then people reply him with saying "Zemone shirin" [May you have sweet and appealing tongue].

Medicine

There are several health and medical benefits to dushab which some of them are listed here.

It is a traditional medicine used in treating favism, Icterus or Jaundice, and Anemia patient.
It is often used in healing some minor disease in animals. in cases when animal's eye is always misty, deshav is fed to it. Or when animals are suffering parasite related diseases.
Deshav is rich in vitamin C and good quantity of antioxidants such as β-Carotene and Lycopene which boosts immune system and lowers the risk of cancer. Arba Deshav also has anti-aging effects, prevents hair fall, and protects skin.
It is good substitute for sugar but Diabetic patients must be careful with Deshav and don not use it.
Sport nutritionist advice athletes to use Ambra Deshav to provide body with calories needed.

Cuisine

Varfa-Deshav

Deshav is commonly used in cold seasons (Autumn and Winter) due to hot temperament of deshav-according to Avicenna's (ibn Sina) four humors and temperaments . Some of deshav usage in Talysh and Gilan cuisine are:

Use it as topping on snow that is kind of natural ice-cream. This is called “varfa-deshav”. Rapid urbanization and subsequent air pollution does not allow this a wise thing to do in Talysh plains, nonetheless, Talyshan of highland still do enjoy varfa-deshav as air is cleaners up there.
Deshav is consumed in breakfast.
Fired rice is mixed deshav used as snack (برزه چیکله) Brza-chikla
Rice-milk with Arba-Deshav fro breakfast
Rice with mix of walnut and Arba Deshav
Making delights with deshav, particularly for Nowruz
Taken with homemade breads or any bread accompanied by tea in the afternoon
Deshav with bread and butter for breakfast
Hot milk mixed with deshav and taking it with bread

Final note:

In the past 30 years the number of wild persimmon tree has significantly reduced. This threatens the ecosystem and local business such beekeepers in Gilan, Tabarestan (Mazandaran) and Talysh . The areas used be covered with this tree now are replaced with maple and alder trees which inhibited the growth of younger trees and abrupted life cycle of wild persimmon. Though logging this tree may not be a lucrative business and don’t have much of industrial value, it is crucial to region’s beekeepers and animal husbandry. Moreover, this tree and its fruit provide shelter for many animals in Hyrcania such as squirrels and is food source for bears, dears, and many birds living in Hyrcania.

On the other hand, iran’s NRWMO (Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization) believes that local ranchers cut all kinds of tree except wild persimmon which put other trees in danger of extinct. Hence, they are trying to preserve rich eco-diversity of the Hyrcania by planting new trees and monitoring growth of other trees such as wild persimmon

Aknowledgment:

This is a translation work and is based on references listed below.

Search This Blog

Diary of a Tolysh ֎