Trail mix is easily my favorite thing to snack on. Nuts are loaded with protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Today’s recipe is for Ajeel, a Persian trail mix that is quite common in Iranian households. It is also a traditional snack mix found at a couple of notable times of the year in Persian culture. Trail mix, in general, is perfect to hold you over until the next balanced plate of nourishing food. Eating nuts with a bit of dried fruit satisfies hunger pangs. The crunchy, salty, and sweet flavors are irresistible. Arranging a bountiful platter is earthy and naturally appealing.
Given my Iranian roots, it’s no surprise that I have a deep love for nuts and fruit. Persian trail mix (‘ajeel’ in Farsi) is very common as a snack. Ajeel is loaded with a variety of nuts and sometimes seeds. In our special version, the dried fruits are often colorful and are interesting sizes, textures, and shapes.
Although enjoyed year-round for snacking, traditionally, Ajeel is especially seen around our Persian New Year, Norooz (also spelled Norouz and Nowruz).
A variety of nuts are often mixed into ajeel.
Nuts, seeds, and legumes often found in ajeel, Persian trail mix:
- almonds
- walnuts
- pistachios (usually whole with shells)
- cashews
- pumpkin seeds (whole)
- hazelnuts
- dried chickpeas
The Persian New Year falls on the first day of spring at the exact moment of the vernal equinox (typically falling somewhere between March 19th and 21st in our northern hemisphere). The Persian New Year is based on the solar calendar.
There are many rituals that coincide with the annual Persian New year celebrations. One in particular to note is a ritual that falls on the evening before the last Wednesday before the vernal equinox – in Farsi, this festival is called “Chahar Shanbeh Souri”, literally translated as ‘Red Wednesday’ and is also referred to as ‘The Festival of Light and Fire’. On this evening, there is a fun fire ceremony that is meant to ward off evil spirits.
The custom is that everyone takes turns jumping over bonfires while quietly chanting to the burning flames:“Sorkhieh toe az man, Zardieh man az toe”…translation: “Your redness/health is mine, my paleness/pain is yours”, more casually translated as ‘hey fire, give me your rosy health and take my sickly complexion!”
It’s a hot, playful night – a cleansing ceremony circulating feelings of happiness, health, and joy. This ritual dates back 4000 years, originating in Zorastrian times.
Dried fruit often found in ajeel, Persian trail mix:
- raisins (usually the yellow/golden raisins)
- dried figs
- dried mulberries (called toot! in Farsi)
- dried apricots
Truth be told, given that I was a toddler when we immigrated to the U.S. (and that I grew up mostly in small midwest towns) I never personally experienced the ‘red Wednesday, ‘Char Shanbeh Souri’ tradition first-hand. Nevertheless, I have heard countless stories from folks sharing memories of jumping over bonfires big and small on this night.
Aside from jumping over bonfires, Persians eat delicious, nutritious Persian Noodle Soup (Aash Reshteh) and snack on tasty Persian trail mix, ajeel!
Good to mention is another notable night where Persians often enjoy ajeel – the longest night of the year, Shab-e-Yalda. To hear more about the Persian winter solstice celebrations, listen to our podcast episode #10, Yalda Winter Flavors.
The fun thing about this recipe is that although a true Persian ajeel has dried mulberries (toot), chickpeas, and figs, the sky is the limit! Choose your favorite variations of fruits and nuts. I love the aesthetic of mixing bright-colored dried fruits such as bright red strawberries, vibrant orange peaches, and ruby red dried cherries. Then I throw in roasted almonds and pistachios – mmm, the crunch plus the sweet and sour tang is so delicious.
Are you ready to mix up a big, bright batch of Persian trail mix ajeel? Have fun with your mix blend and think about leaping over bonfires with each handful.
For a complete meal, take the nuts and berries collected for this mix and cook up a batch of majestic and beautiful Persian Jeweled Rice | Shirin Polo.
This is the simplest recipe share yet. There is no hard and fast rule for the proportions or ratios of nuts to dried fruit. I like a close to 1:1 ratio of nuts to fruit so there is a little bit of everything with each handful. Having more nuts than dried fruit will bump up the protein while keeping the extra sugar at bay. When making this delicious blend, plan for a small handful or about 1/4 cup per person and mix accordingly.
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