Masouleh

Masouleh, a hilltop village at the foot of the Alborz Mountains, is 60 kilometers southwest of Rasht. There, the terrace of one house serves as the roof of the house below. This architecture is unique in Iran and reminiscent of some European hill towns. The atmosphere is laid back and, as you might notice in the photo of the cafe below, not much different from a cafe in Provence. I bought a large basket of whole Persian hogweed seeds/golpar there. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, when I was returning home, the U.S. Customs officer at the airport asked if I had brought back any golpar with me. When I didn’t answer immediately, he said, “I can smell it,” and confiscated the whole lot. The whole seeds are not allowed in the U.S., though it’s unclear to me as to why because they grow wild in northern California, but you can buy the ground powder at Iranian stores.