The foods that we eat undergo processing in some form or another. A basic process might be heating or cooking, and besides the raw vegetables/fish that are more common, it is very difficult to eat foods that have not been processed. Currently, there are also doubts about ultra processed foods that add extra sugar, lipids and salt. However, foods and flavors have always been processed. Consider two foods that have been processed for decades
Rose water and oil:
These are used in specific cooking and deserts and it is thought that it originated from Iran, and one area that is specifically famous for this is in the Kashan region. A desert that in the spring fills with rose blooms called the Mohammadi roses. The roses are collected fresh and then distilled to extract the rose oil which forms about 5-10% and the rest 90-95% is rose water. The key aspect is the freshness of the rose from harvesting to distillation since the volatile compounds evaporate quickly once the roses are plucked.
Marsh taffy / Khirret / Bhurani / Bhoori
Another one that is processed, though minimally modified originated in Iraq in a region called the al-Ahwar in Iraq. This is marshland and in spring the blooms of cattail or Typha plant that grows in the marshes puts out pollen. This pollen is stripped from the plant and dried. It is then mixed with sugar, steamed to condense it and then broken into pieces. This minimal process changes the consistency of this to a crumbly yellow rock that is consumed in pieces. In Iraq, it is called Khirret whereas in Sindh it is called Bhurani. This is a protein rich source of food that is only available in the summer after the spring harvest and has been eaten as a source of nutrition but also to relieve digestive symptoms.
The components that go into these is not much and made from natural products but they are processed to enhance the flavor and make them palatable. Modern foods undergo significant processing but their flavors are complex and richer than these simply processed foods.
