Havij bastani (هویج بستنی) is freshly prepared carrot juice with ice cream. The name “havij bastani” can be literally translated as “carrot with ice cream.” It is a traditional Iranian delicacy. This drink is especially popular during the summer months among the specialties of Iranian gastronomy.
The base of havij bastani is fresh carrot juice. First, creamy ice cream is poured into a glass, which is then topped with carrot juice. The taste of havij bastani is sweet, fresh, and creamy at the same time. The soft-serve ice cream that I had the chance to taste in havij bastani was also wonderfully flavored with rose water.
For Czechs, the combination of carrot juice and creamy ice cream may seem truly unusual. But the taste of havij bastani is perfect, and the two main ingredients complement each other wonderfully.
Iran is a vast country, and while at the end of February havij bastani was being sold on every corner in the desert city of Yazd, just a few (hundred) kilometers away in Esfahan, it was still too cold for it. The havij bastani in the photo above cost 450,000 IRR (0.50 EUR) at one of the better confectioneries in Yazd.
Don’t let the “unconventional” combination scare you away and give havij bastani a try.
It’s amazing!
