Lavashak: Persian Fruit Leather Recipe and Taste

One of Iranians' favourite snacks is Lavashak, or Persian fruit leather. Iranians love foods that have a rich taste, whether it's a sweet taste, as you can see in most Persian pastries or a rich sour taste, like pickled vegetables or Gharaghoroot. Persian fruit leather is a fruit roll with a rich, sour and salty taste. Here is all you need to know about this delicious treat:

What is Lavashak?

Lavashak, or fruit leather, is made of different fruits. This snack is perhaps one of the most popular souvenirs of Iran, which is no less famous than Iranian saffron. A thick extract of fruits is made and then dried to make Lavashak. In the old days, people mashed the excess amount of fruits and dried them under the sun, which is how Lavashak was first made. During this time, different combinations of fruit and additives have been used to make Lavashak. Even industrial methods have been used. However, the basis is more or less the same.

The fruit extraction is poured on a tray to form a thin layer. The name Lavashak refers to its resemblance to Lavash bread, a type of Persian bread that is also very thin.

Iranians usually make Lavashak at the end of summer; this is due to several reasons. First, from the old times, Iranians used to dry fruits or make fruit leather in the summer to access fruit supplies in winter. This is an ancient Iranian tradition that has survived until now. Another reason is the excellent variety of fruits in the summer resulting in fruit rolls with different flavours. Also, the summer climate is hot and dry, making drying Lavashak easy and fast.

How is Lavashak made?

The main ingredient to make Persian fruit leather is fruit. You can make Lavashak with any fleshy fruit you like. You can mix several kinds of fruit and get a brand-new flavour. The other ingredient is salt. Salt is added both to give Lavashak a rich taste and prolong its storage time.

In the industrial methods of making Laavashaak, some additives like citric acid or food colourings are used to give Lavashak a rich taste and colour.

Which fruits are best for making Lavashak?

Ripe fruits such as plums or sour cherries are the best for making Lavashak. Baking and mashing fruits are needed to make Lavashak. Therefore ripe ones require less time. Iranians usually make Lavashak with more fruits before they go bad.

Lavashak Recipe: how to make it?

Popular Persian fruit leather is made from plums. The taste of Lavashak made with plum alone is quite sour, so a few apples are added to balance it.

• It is essential to wash the fruits well before making Lavashak. Remove the stems and leaves. It is also better to remove the skin of fruits like apples which are easy to peel.
• The fruit should be cut into small pieces, and the seeds should be removed if possible.
• Put the fruits in a pot and pour a little water. Put on mild heat and stir until the fruits are well-baked and easily mashed.
• You can add salt at this point. To avoid adding too much salt, add salt and taste the mixture.
• Pour the mashed mixture into a sieve to separate the remaining seeds and fruit peels and to form a smooth mixture.
• The fruit mixture is ready to get dried. To prepare the tray, you may grease it with oil and put a plastic layer or a silicon pad.
• Pour the fruit mixture on the tray evenly. You can decide how thick your Lavashak is; the ideal thickness is about three to four millimetres.
• The traditional way to dry the fruit leather is to leave it in a hot and dry place and wait for it to dry. Iranians usually put the trays under the sunlight or in front of a fan airflow.

What are the benefits of Lavashak?

Kids enjoy Lavashak, which is a good snack for everyone. Depending on the fruit it is made of, Lavashak can have different effects on health. For instance, barberries are suitable for controlling blood sugar and blood pressure, and the fruit leather made of barberries has the same impact. Lavashak is high in fibre. Therefore it plays a significant role in digestive health.

Although fruit leather can replace fresh fruit in some cases like dried fruit, But some nutrients like vitamins are destroyed during the making process.