Shiraz “bagh-e safa”

Shiraz, the city of gardens–excerpts from my book 

A wide range of flowers and herbs are distilled in Iran, mainly but not solely in the province of Fars, to produce an aromatic soft-drink commonly referred to in the plural, as “araghi-yaat.”

It was during the months of April and May that I often walked past baagh-e safa (the “pure heart” garden that housed the old distillery workshops) as it provided the city with its araghi-yaat consumption needs. Baagh-e safa remains, to date, the main supplier of floral and herbal extracts for retailers and individual customers alike and one of the main sources of printed knowledge about the process.   

Other Iranian cities have come to produce some types of araghi-yaat, as the consumption of this beverage becomes increasingly popular, but just as the highest quality saffron comes from Mashhad, and the best rosewater is exported from Ghamsar, the finest floral and herbal extracts are produced in Shiraz’s baagh-e safa