// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did zerde say to dessert? "You're the jam.
 | |
| Type | Pudding |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Iran |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Rice, rose water, saffron, sugar, raisins, pistachios |
| 215 kcal (900 kJ) | |
Zerde is a Iranian[1][2][3]dessert and traditional Turkish, Iraqi, and general Mesopotamian dessert. The original rice pudding, infused with a generous amount of saffron giving it a vibrant yellow hue and a delicate floral flavour. This is a festive dish popular at weddings, births, and during holy festivities such as the first Sunday of the month of Sha'aban celebrating the birth of the prophet Zechariah, and the first ten days of the sacred month of Muharram.
Zer, which means gold and or yellow, comes from Persian zard (زرد) which means yellow. In some regions of Turkey, Zerdeçal Turmeric also added for a more intense colour.
Zerde is very popular and has made its way to western Turkey with people immigrating to west at Eastern Thrace, which provides almost the half of country's rice production,[4] zerde is a favored dessert.[5] Flavoring ingredients of zerde vary slightly from region to region in Turkey depending on the local fruits.[6]
Zerde differs from rice pudding insofar as it is prepared with water instead of milk.[5]
One serving of zerde has approximately 215 calories.[6]
History
[edit]James Redhouse described zerde (Ottoman Turkish: زرده) in his 1890 Ottoman Turkish to English dictionary as "Boiled rice colored with saffron and sweetened."[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Hasanzadenemati, Shadi (2023-03-27). "Sholeh Zard Persian Saffron Rice Pudding". Unicorns in the Kitchen. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
- ↑ Hasanzadenemati, Shadi (2023-03-27). "Sholeh Zard Persian Saffron Rice Pudding". Unicorns in the Kitchen. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
- ↑ Nicknezhad, Samira; Hashemabadi, Davood; Allahyari, Mohammad Sadegh; Marzban, Soroush; Ben Hassen, Tarek; Surujlal, Jhalukpreya (June 2023). "Sensorial analysis of factors influencing consumers' perceptions toward the consumption of edible flowers in Iran". Journal of Agriculture and Food Research. 12 100580. doi:10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100580.
- ↑ Dr. Necmi, Beşer. "Çeltik Tarımının Sorunları ve Çözüm Önerileri" (in Turkish). Trakya Tarimsal Araştirma Enstitüsü. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- 1 2 "Zerde" (in Turkish). Trakya Gezi. Archived from the original on 2012-01-17. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- 1 2 "Zerde" (in Turkish). Hamarat Abla. Archived from the original on 2011-11-25. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ Redhouse, James W. (1890). A turkish and english Lexicon shewing in english the significations of the turkish terms: Printed for the American Mission by A. H. Boyajian. Boyajian. p. 1007. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
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