Sohan, Iranian Traditional Sweets
Photo by SaaKha / Shutterstock

Sohan is an Iranian traditional brittle toffee from the city of Qom. Although Sohan is produced in some other cities such as Yazd, the most famous Sohan belongs to Qom. Sohan is considered as a kind of halwa that is made of wheat sprout flour in combination with other ingredients such as sugar, oil, cardamom and saffron which is decorated with pistachio and almond kernels. There are different types of Sohan including honey Sohan, sesame Sohan, Sohan halwa, almond Sohan, Sohan Gazi, Sohan Loghmeh, butter Sohan, Sohan Pashmaki (cotton candy) and Dessert Sohan.

There is no precise date regarding the appearance of Sohan, but the name of “Halwa Qomi” is mentioned in some historical sources from the Safavid period onwards. It is believed that the name of Halva was replaced with Sohan during the Qajar period; the reason of such change remained unclear due to the plethora of narrations. Some people believe that when Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar travelled to Qom and he was entertained with Halwa Qomi, he analogized it to a rasp (Sohan is the Persian word meaning rasp or file) which digested the food he had eaten very well. Since then, Halwa Qomi was recognized as Sohan and gradually it became the souvenir of Qom.

Sohan, Iranian Traditional Sweets
Photo by Hussein Kassir / Shutterstock

The Austrian traveler, Alfons Gabriel, (14th century CE) in his book “Crossing the Iranian Deserts” talked about this brittle confectionery, its production process and distribution in Qom bazaars: “A special confectionery is produced in Qom which sent to the farthest cities of Iran. It is called “Sohan-e Qom” and is made from wheat flour, sugar, goat butter and pistachio. The aroma of this sweet confection is spread throughout the bazaar. The production of Sohan has been descended to the next generations in families in Qom, and today is considered as a main craft of the city. Besides, in some cities and regions of Iran, families make home-made Sohan on special occasions such as celebrations of Nowruz (21st March) and Shab-e Esfandi (20th February) which is held on the eve of first day of Esfand (the final month of the Solar Hijri calendar,).

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Various ethnic groups with their own language including Persians, Turks, and Arabs reside in Qom. The northern slopes of the Zagros Mountains including Mount Palang Abi as the highest point cover the southern part of the province. In terms of climate, because of various altitudes, the temperature varies in different areas of the province.

The oldest historical evidence found in Qarah Tappeh in the Qom Roud area, Qom province belongs to the past sixth to the fourth millennium. Also, during and after the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 B.C.), the name of Qom has been documented several times. Particularly after the advent of Islam in 651 A.D., due to the presence of the holy shrine of Fatima Masumeh, the importance of the city was intensified. However, its historic incidents and events mostly have happened in the surrounding areas including Ray and Kashan rather than the city of Qom.

After the Mongol invasion in 1206, a feudal system was run in most parts of Iran but following the formation of the Shiite Safavid government (1501-1736), the land of Qom found a special position. For example, many monuments inside and around Qom were built. During the Constitutional Revolution, a large group of scholars and clerics from Tehran migrated to Qom in order to protest against the Muzafar al-Din Shah’s (reign: 1896-1907) hesitation in signing the Constitutional Law but finally, they returned to Tehran when the decree was signed.

The Holy Shrine of Fatima Masumeh is the second most important religious shrine in Iran, making Qom the main pilgrimage center following Mashhad city because of the shrine of Imam Reza. This, along with other religious places such as tombs, shrines, caravanserais, and mosques, especially Jamkaran Mosque, has turned the city mainly into a religious destination for domestic ad inbound pilgrims.

The primary local handicrafts of Qom include silk carpets, wood carving, tiles, ceramics, Mohr (a clay-made object on which Shiite Muslims prostrate when praying), prayer mat, and Aba (cloak), precious stones, and stone carving.

Undoubtedly, one of the most famous souvenirs and exports of Qom is Sohan (a kind of sweet), while other local souvenirs are walnuts, dried apricots, hazelnuts, pomegranates, and figs. Also, of the native foods, we mention Kalle Joosh (a special type of soup), Qunabid (meat stew), Aush (a kind of stew with different beans), Halim, traditional bread, sesame extract, sesame Halva.

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