Let Persian grandmas in

Salsa is amazing, but what’s the equivalent in Persian cuisine? That would be torshi, pickled vegetables and herbs. A tablespoon or two is generally eaten with rice dishes as a tangy enhancer. Torshi, which means sour in Farsi, typically contains chunks of cauliflower, carrot, cabbage, celery, parsley, tarragon and mint in vinegar. Torshi liteh is smooth-textured, luxurious version: Its main vegetable is eggplant. For serious flavor, the sweet, sour, creamy experience of fermented garlic, or torshi seer, is a massive treat. The best version is a homemade jarful from a Persian grandmother. But until the government stops restricting the travel of elderly Iranian women (among others), we’re on our own. A Rancho Cordova-based company called Sima’s makes torshi, liteh and a jalapeño torshi, available at www.simasfoods.com and Folsom Quality Meat Market (640 East Bidwell Street in Folsom). It’s not quite like grandma’s, but it’s damn good.