A strange mountain whose soil is used as a kind of spice by the locals! This edible mountain, which is the only edible mountain of the world, is located in Hormuz Island, Iran.
Located in Persian Gulf, Hormuz is the island of colorful beaches and many people refer to it as the Rainbow Island. The island is a center of geological studies.
The people of Hormuz have their own special way of cooking. They take the fresh fish of their waters, such as sardines, kilka and another kind called ‘momagh’, clean them and marinate them in the peel of sour oranges and this particular sauce in a large container and leave it in the sun for two days. Then its cooked to become a delicious meal called ‘suragh’. Its appetizing taste and color is very popular among tourists from both Iran and abroad. Very few visitors to this island leave without having tasted the dish.
The same red soil is also used in baking the local bread called ‘tomshi’. The same bread is cooked in neighboring islands with cheese or dabbled with eggs; but Hormuz has its own special recipe made with ‘suragh’ which is rather popular. Guelak and suragh are also known in other parts of Hormuzgan Province and are used in foods such as ‘kalleh jush’ made with walnuts and whey, lentil rice, and small shrimps and other seafood.
The wide ranging colors of the soil include white, yellow, red, green, orange, beige, brown, light turquoise, and even gold. From a geology perspective, the island is one of the most important salt domes of the world; due to these features, it is given the name lithology lab. The agile artists of the island also produce hand arts such as colorful paintings made with their valuable soil, also very popular among tourists. Nevertheless, the exploitation of the island’s soil has created environmental concerns for some years now, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency is seeking to protect and stop its use.
