Sixth cornelian cherry festival held in Kaleybar
By Reza Abesh Ahmadlou
Staff writer
The Sixth Cornelian Cherry Festival (Zoghal Akhteh) was held in Kaleybar in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan.
As one of the largest producers of the fruit in Iran, the gardens of Kaleybar are host to the best Cornelian cherries in the country.
Every year, at the same time as the harvest season, in the beautiful city with a pleasant climate, the people hold a thanksgiving celebration with local rituals.
They call it the “Cornelian Cherry Festival”. They have local music and folklore and traditional games in their celebration.
Every year in late September, as gardeners harvest their crop, they spread it on the rooftops, and this gives a special and colorful feature to the city and its villages. According to officials, tons of Cornelian cherries are produced annually and exported from the northwestern city.
One of the main purposes of holding the festival, which was organized by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, is to remove the role of middlemen who prevent the sale of the product at a reasonable price.
Talking to Iran Daily, the head of Omid Entrepreneurship Fund (OEF) of East Azarbaijan Province announced that OEF is ready to help the launch of processing units of Cornelian cherry in Kaleybar.
Hamed Haddadi added that appropriate packaging of the products made from the fruit will help more job creation which has been targeted by his fund.
Any investment plan for development of small- and medium-sized enterprises can receive the support of the OEF under the approved plans in the province, Haddadi said, noting that plans related to Cornelian cherry processing industry have priority in receiving facilities in Kaleybar.
To realize more entrepreneurship, the private sector can play a more serious role in this field, the official stated.
On the sidelines of the event, there were stalls offering handicraft products, dairy products, rural and nomadic products as well as other agricultural products related to the festival.
It has been reported in some research that Cornelian cherries have antibacterial, antihistamine, antiallergic, antimicrobial, antimalarial and anti-diabetic properties due to their antioxidant properties. Cornelian cherries can be consumed fresh or dried, as well as processed into marmalade, jam and fruit juice.
The polyphenols content in the fruit reduce blood cholesterol and are good for heart health. Cornelian cherries are high in iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamins E, B1, B2, C, and flavonoids. The delicious fruit is a good source of fiber as well.