SAEDNEWS: Naser al-Din Shah’s nazri (charitable offering), which was prepared every year during Muharram in the presence of courtiers and state officials at Shahrestanak Palace, was accompanied by strange and unusual events.
According to Saed News Society Service, “ash” (a traditional Persian thick soup) has long been one of the most popular dishes for family gatherings and informal parties in old Tehran. During the Qajar era, cooking ash became widespread in Tehran, and this simple dish was a staple of charitable offerings and religious donations. Its popularity grew to the point where Nasser al-Din Shah, who was known for his interest in cooking and hunting, ordered in 1868 (1247 SH) that a charity ash be prepared at his summer residence in Shemiran, known as the Chaharsetan Palace. This dish later became known as “summer ash.”
The preparation of this “summer ash” had a specific time and place. Every year during the warm season, court officials would accompany Nasser al-Din Shah to the Chaharsetan Palace and later to Sorkheh Hesar to organize the charitable cooking event. The ash was prepared on 30 large stoves, and in addition to herbs and legumes, highly nutritious ingredients such as almond kernels, pistachios, prunes, dried apricots, and apricot leather were added to make it richer and more substantial.
When the cooking was finished, the royal head chef—who was responsible for distributing the charitable soup—would take charge, and many of the customs surrounding the Shah’s charity practice began at that point. According to reports, the head chef would send a bowl of ash to the homes of government officials. However, this act followed strict unwritten rules. One of these traditions required recipients to return the bowl filled with gold coins.
Based on the instructions of influential courtiers and the head chef, trusted officials close to the Shah would receive a larger bowl of ash with extra oil, and in return they were expected to fill these larger bowls with even more gold coins, paying a higher “price” for this special royal attention.
The origin of one of Tehran’s most common proverbs is said to come from this story. If the head chef or courtiers involved in distributing the Shah’s charitable ash had a dispute with a government official, they would threaten them by saying: “I will cook you an ash with an inch of oil on top.” Over 170 years later, some people in Tehran still use this expression during quarrels, and thus the story of the Qajar Shah’s charitable ash became a lasting proverb.
For this reason, some historical sources refer to Nasser al-Din Shah’s “summer ash” instead of “charity ash.” Some historians believe that the Shah and certain courtiers undermined the sacred and communal nature of traditional charitable food practices in Tehran, altering their original cultural and religious meaning.
