Sohan | Persian sweet or Toffee Candy

Sohan is a Persian kind of candy, which is really sweet and tasty.

This Persian toffee candy is originally from Qom and it is a special type of brittle that you would really want to try.

You can buy this Iranian souvenir from Persian shops or you can follow the easy-to-follow recipe we prepared for you.

Interestingly, it is possible to make this perfect and yummy Persian toffee candy at home. Other Persian sweets are available too, like Qottab, Kolompeh and Baqlava.

Sohan Recipe

PersianGood Team

If you have travelled to Iran you have definitely passed Qom.

This city is somehow in the middle of the country and if you want to visit other cities, you inevitably pass the city. Mostly the tourists buy souvenirs from the city, one of the greatest and most famous sweets you can purchase is Sohan.

This sweet is a kind of toffee candy and it is garnished with powdered nuts. Follow the instructions you see what a miracle this sweet can be!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course sweet

Cuisine persian

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp Wheat germ flour
• 1 tbsp Flour
• 210 g Sugar
• 160 g Butter
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 1.5 tbsp Glucose syrup
• ½ glass Rosewater 125 g
• ½ teasp Saffron
• ½ teasp Cardamom

Instructions

 

• Pick a piece of aluminum foil and spread it on a flat surface, then grease it with some oil.
• Pick a pot and heat it. Add the wheat germ flour and simple flour to the pot and heat it up. Keep stirring to remove the raw and unpleasant smell of the flour. Then reduce the heat, add rosewater and sugar to the content and keep stirring. It needs to boil and while boiling you should add butter and let it comes to the boil again.
• Add and mix the honey, glucose syrup, cardamom and saffron at the same time to the pot and stir properly. You need to keep stirring for about30 minutes. This is very important to stir constantly.
• Then test the consistency of the content by a spoon. If it is condensed enough to dispatch from the pot, you can discard the content. You should pour the content on the foil and spread it well. You can pour the powdered nuts or whatever you prefer for the garnishing the candy, make the content finely spread on the surface and then let it cool. Your Sohan is ready! Have fun.

Notes

History of Sohan

The history of the first Sohan is attributed to the Qajar period in the city of Qom. Sohan was cooked for the first time in the years 1289-1290 A.H. during the opening of the court hall of Hazrat Masoumeh in the holy city of Qom.

The elders of Qom organized a grand opening ceremony, and Naser al-Din Shah was supposed to be present for the opening. Still, based on the requirements of the time, especially the security issues of that time, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar sent his successor (the head of the Qajar tribe) to Qom for the opening ceremony.

During the ceremony, according to the customs of that period, each of the elders of the city presented gifts to the king’s representative, such as handicrafts, etc. In the meantime, one of the elders, Mulla Brahim Shamai, presented halva with added sugar to the head of the Qajar clan, who was also the king’s representative.

According to the statements, the head of the Qajar clan said: “This sweet cut and digested my food just like a Sohan that polishes and sharpens iron.” He requested that I take some of this pleasant sweet for the king. In this way, from that time, Sohan was given to this halva, and after that, the production and consumption of Sohan began, which was initially reserved for elders and nobles.

 The ingredients of Sohan halva initially included: flour, sugar, oil, pistachios, saffron, cardamom, and rose water, which was cooked as a soft halva, but gradually by adding other ingredients such as egg yolk and replacing wheat germ flour instead of wheat flour, Hardness and fragility were added to this sweet, which also increased the shelf life of the product.

The egg yolk helps to keep the oil in the composition and not dry the Sohan, and the wheat germ increases the nutritional value of the Sohan. Today, a new product called Sohan dessert is produced, which has a soft and halvayi appearance, and it is the same halva that was first presented to the representative of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar.

 

Nutritional value of Sohan

 

Wheat germ is one of the raw materials of Sohan. The light brown color and the Sohan taste are among the things that indicate its quality, which depends on its raw materials.

The benefit of Sohan is due to wheat germ, that’s why it has a lot of protein and is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins of group B and E, which calms the nerves and mind.

Due to the presence of natural sugars, this product’s wheat germ saves muscle energy, improves muscle function, and prevents fatigue and lethargy.

The type of oil and butter used in cooking Sohan is essential in its quality.

 The suitable Sohan does not stick to the teeth and is easy to chew.

The taste of low-quality Sohan is such that the buyer notices its low quality and lack of quality after tasting a little of it.

 Sohan’s quality is one factor that attracts buyers, effectively improving the export process and reaching global markets.

Microbiological and chemical tests are carried out to provide standard marks to Sohan manufacturers.

The color and percentage of fat, sugar, and pistachios are detected in chemical tests.

The quality of the raw materials, the cleanliness of the working environment, and the performance of the filing devices are among the things that confirm the quality of the Sohan.

Types of Sohan

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.

·       SOHAN ASALI

Honey crisp is also the most popular type of this sweet, which consists of sugar, honey, almonds or pistachio nuts.

·       SESAME SOHAN 

This Sohan is similar to honey crisp, but sesame is used instead of almonds and pistachios.

·       SOHAN GAZ

Gaz Sohan is one of Qom’s tasty bristles, and many people love it. The recipe for its preparation combines Persian Gaz and Sohan, and the middle is filled with Gaz instead of walnuts and pistachios.

·       SOHAN HALWA

Crispy halva is a traditional Iranian sweet that has different cooking recipes. This sweet is prepared by boiling a mixture of water, sugar, milk and corn flour until it hardens. Saffron is used for flavoring. Almonds, pistachios and cardamom seeds are added. This Sohan Halwa is different from Persian Halva we have already talked about.

How to store Sohan

It is better to keep Sohan in a closed bag or container at room temperature and away from moisture.

 The best place to store Iranian pistachios is a place that is dry and cool; in this case, it remains crunchy.

Sohan will stay fresh for several weeks, but it is best to eat it soon.

Also, do not store the Sohan in the refrigerator because it will make it soft and sticky.

 

Tips for preparing homemade Sohan

• The heat of the Sohan should be such that it does not burn the hand.
• Grease the masher, then put it on the grater.
• The diameter of the Sohan should not be more than 2 mm.
• If you like a softer texture, add more butter.
• In addition to pistachio nuts, you can also use other nuts to prepare suhan.

Serving Sohan with…

This toffee candy can be served with Persian tea and it will be an awesome afternoon tea party!

Did you like the recipe? Let us know by leaving your comments!

Serving Sohan with…

This toffee candy can be served with Persian tea and it will be an awesome afternoon tea party!

Did you like the recipe? Let us know by leaving your comments!