Saffron glass

As our Iranian friend Ali Taheri likes to say, tea is everything in Iran; without it, nothing functions. It is generally served sweetened or with lumps of sugar, which are lodged between the teeth to sweeten tea as it is drunk. Some venues offer saffron-tinted sugar wafers instead, and there’s something decadently blissful about letting them melt on your tongue into a saffron syrup. — 25 saffron threads, or more if you love saffron (we use Iranian) — 200g caster sugar Line a large baking tray with a silicone baking mat or baking paper and have another sheet of paper to hand.

Lightly toast the saffron threads in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for about 30 seconds. They must be crisp and dry, but be careful not to let them burn. Cool slightly before crushing to a powder.

Mix the saffron powder with two tablespoons of boiling water and set aside to infuse for an hour.

Combine the sugar and saffron water in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring from time to time, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the liquid is clear, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer briskly for eight minutes to form a deep-golden caramel.

Working fast (it sets hard quickly), spoon four or five small rounds of caramel on to the prepared baking tray. Place a sheet of paper on top and use a rolling pin to roll into thin ‘glass’ wafers. Repeat with the rest of the caramel, replacing the baking mat/paper as necessary. (Alternatively, and more simply, pour the caramel on to the mat or paper, top with paper and roll it thinly. Leave to cool and, once hard, break into shards of varying sizes.)

Once completely cold, store in an airtight container between layers of baking paper. The saffron glass will keep for up to a week.

For saffron sugar, blitz saffron glass in a food processor. Use as a garnish. spoonful of rice pudding, these are all culinary concepts that can be traced back to the Persian, Arab and Ottoman empires. This is less surprising, perhaps, when one understands that sugar has been around for much longer in the Arab world than in Europe – after all, suqar, our book’s title, is the Arabic origin of our English word.

Like many people, I have a complicated relationship with sweet foods. I have a sweet tooth, but I have health issues that restrain me from overindulging. I like to think that having to exercise self-control means that I appreciate sweet things even more when I eat them. This is the way Middle Easterners have always consumed them: as occasional treats, rather than daily fare.

I’m a firm believer in the human need for joy – and let’s be honest, life would be very bleak without a touch of sweetness from time to time. These recipes are for those times.

Suqar, by Greg and Lucy Malouf, is published by Hardie Grant (£30). To order your copy for £25 call 0844-871 1514 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk

Sugar has been around for much longer in the Arab world than in Europe – suqar is the Arabic origin of the word