Tahdig

Tahdig is the crisp, golden layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pot during Persian rice cooking, deliberately created by lining the base of the pot with oil or fat, sometimes together with bread, potato slices or yogurt, before piling the rest of the rice on top so that the bottom layer toasts rather than the rest of the grain. The technique produces a firm, crunchy crust with a toasted flavor that is served as a prized separate portion alongside the softer rice above it. Forming a deliberately crisped layer of rice at the bottom of the cooking pot is a technique found in many cuisines around the world, from East Asia to Latin America, but in Iran it is treated as a central and celebrated part of the meal in its own right rather than an incidental byproduct, and demand for it has grown enough that some tahdig is now produced commercially rather than only made at home.