Qom Sohan

Sohan is a brittle toffee made from wheat sprout extract, flour, sugar, butter, saffron, cardamom and rose water, poured out flat and studded with slivered pistachio and almond, then cooled and broken or cut into rounds, and Qom is the city it belongs to. It is sold in flat round tins that pilgrims buy by the stack on the way out of the shrine, and the trade is substantial enough to be a significant part of the local economy, with dozens of workshops and a long-running argument about which is best. The texture is hard and shatters rather than chews, and the saffron is the dominant flavour along with the cardamom. It keeps well, which is why it travels as a gift across the country.

What you actually see

• Flat rounds studded with pistachio - the standard form it is sold in.
• Saffron and cardamom flavour - the dominant notes in the toffee.
• Tins bought by the stack - the pilgrim trade around the shrine.
• Workshops making it fresh - the production behind the shops.

When to go

Year round; it keeps and is made continuously. One hour to look through the shops. The area around the shrine has the highest concentration. Prices drop away from the shrine gates.

Honest expectations

It is extremely sweet and very hard, and the quantity in a tin defeats most people. Quality varies and cheap versions use less saffron and more sugar. Shops near the shrine charge a premium. Dental caution is advisable.

Nearby

The Fatima Masumeh shrine is at the centre of the sohan trade.