paloodeh a type of sweet dessert or drink which dates back to Zoroastrian times, is still made in Iran and also in Afghanistan and India where it is called faluda. The Middle Eastern baluza, balusa (and Turkish palta, for that matter) are all descendants of Persian paludeh in name, so that the geographical range of this item covers a very large area. The Persian word itself simply means ‘sieved, refined’. But the meaning has been extended in various directions. Thus, to take just two examples, the word can mean cornstarch pudding or a kind of rosewater granita (see water ices) containing a sort of vermicelli (described below) and sprinkled with lime juice.
