Shundul Khani Green Raisins (Sabz Kishmish)

Shundul Khani are the long, needle slim green raisins that Afghan shops keep behind the counter for gifting. They are the deepest green of the raisins we carry, tender all the way through, and the taste is delicate and lightly grassy with a clean sweetness, nothing like the toffee heaviness of a dark brown raisin.

Shundul Khani is a named Afghan grade, not just a colour. Our plain green raisins are the everyday sabz kishmish; this is the same green style taken to its extreme, sorted for the longest and most slender fruit with the most even colour, which is why it sits at the top of our raisin range on price. Against the golden and red raisins the contrast is even sharper: those are amber and winey, these are green and floral.

How to use them

These are usually served rather than cooked. Put them out on a Nowruz or Eid platter with pistachios, dried apricot and sinjid, offer them with green tea as noql, or bring them as a gift box. When they do go into food it is at the finish: a handful over Kabuli pulao or qabili just before serving, or over zereshk polo, so the length and the colour still show. They also dress up a cheese board, a bowl of Greek yogurt or a bar of white chocolate. Keep the heat off them, since cooking dulls the green.

Details

Also known as

Shundul Khani raisins, Shundulkhani, Shundul-Khani, Afghan green raisins, sabz kishmish, Afghan kishmish, dried green grapes, passas verdes, raisins verts