As we gear up for our very first country on this culinary journey, I wanted to give you a peek at the recipes I’ll be cooking this weekend in case you’d like to follow along—or cook along. Either way, passports not required, but a spice grinder wouldn’t hurt.

Since this project is all about experiencing each culture as authentically as possible, I’m not reinventing these recipes. I’m here to learn, not lead (yet). That means I won’t be posting full recipes for any of the dishes we make—but I will always point you to the original sources, because credit belongs where it’s due.

For our Afghan table, I’m turning to Zarghuna S. Adel’s The Best of Afghan Cooking for three of the classics:
— Qabeli Palow (Afghanistan’s national dish)
— Homemade Naan
— Jalebi (yes, the spiraled, syrup-soaked kind)

Zarghuna was born and raised in Kabul, where she learned the rhythms and recipes of Afghan cooking from her mother. After immigrating to the U.S., she returned to Afghanistan in 2004 to research and preserve traditional dishes that were at risk of fading. These days, she shares her knowledge through online communities and her beautifully curated cookbook. You can find her work here: The Best of Afghan Cooking on Amazon.

And because no Afghan meal is truly complete without something warm and pink in your cup, we’re also making Sheer Chai—a traditional, salty-sweet milk tea—using this gorgeous recipe from Halfghan Food Remix: Sheer Chai Recipe.

Four recipes. One country. A thousand tiny learning moments (including, presumably, a moment of panic while shaping naan). Stay tuned for the results—and in the meantime, feel free to grab the same recipes and cook along if you’d like to taste your way through Afghanistan with us.

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