Due to a bit of a profound bout of malaise (rooted in homesickness and work brouhaha and dashes of eeksetera & ouchsetera & yikescetera ) I indulged in a bit of laziness and stress eating but I am happy to spring out of it (somewhat dented but semi intact and once again energized even if slightly more rotund) – to bring to you – albeit rather on a bleated note – the latest Fig & Quince Stories Podcast post.
Tea is still the numero uno drink of choice in Iran for the majority of Iranians, but coffee and a proliferation of ultra modern Persian coffee shops and the popularity of decidedly hipster cafe culture has begun to take root in society and has made major strides in the hearts of Iranian folks when it comes to their favorite beverage and pastimes.
In some ways, Iman, the founder of CoffeeXpress, the very first chain of mobile coffee shops in Iran, is to blame for this!
Here’s Iman (on the right) with Alvand, his friend and partner in crime. I mean, partner in caffeine. Together, they pioneered the concept of mobile coffee shops in Iran. The Persian hashtag reads “haleh khub” which translates to “feeling good.”
Here’s Iman avec moi, this snapshot snapped by the lovely Nooshafarin, at the Crowdsourcing Summit event in Tehran, Iran … circa last year approximately this time-ish.
Here’s Iman as a darling little boy. Back then he had an affinity for ducks but yet had to develop his knack and passion for java.
And here’s Iman with a bevy of his ardent fans! A group selfie on the site of the “moozeh ghasr” branch of CoffeeXpress.ir
Anywho … in this podcast Iman and I chatted about this, that, what he would be if he were edible, which city in Iran consumes the most caffeine (very surprising answer), the culinary manners that his grandmothers spoil him, whence he hails from, how he came to develop a passion for coffee, and … we also explored the reason why the number #175 holds a lot of meaning for him. I think it’s a fun episode and if you speak Persian, I do recommend that you check it out.
Hope you’ll enjoy it and if you do, please do share with your friends and family.
Meanwhile: love and xoxoxo
♥
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