Iranians, like many Eastern Europeans, sip tea through sugar cubes so that it sweetens as they drink it. I also like to sweeten my tea this way, though I go wild for the version I discovered in the Abbasi Hotel in Isfahan, where people sweeten their tea with diaphanous saffron-caramel wafers, so thin you can read through them. You can’t read through my 2.5-mm wafers, though they are delightful to hold in your mouth as you let the tea melt them a little with each sip.
MAKES 16 PIECES
Pinch of saffron threads
1/4 cup [60 ml] water
1 cup [200 g] superfine sugar
Pinch of sea salt
Place the saffron threads in a bowl and pour the water over. Let sit for about 30 minutes to infuse.
Stir together the sugar, saffron water, and salt in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Stop stirring and let the sugar start to melt and turn light golden, about 3 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely melted and has turned a slightly darker golden color. This should take 5 to 7 minutes longer.
Have a silicone baking mat ready and very quickly drop small, thin circles, about 1 in [2.5 cm] in diameter, of caramel onto the mat. You need to work very quickly, as the caramel will harden in no time. Let set until completely dry and crisp, 20 to 30 minutes. If you want the wafers to be really thin, place another silicone mat over them and quickly press on it with a rolling pin, rolling back and forth until the wafers have spread very thinly. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
