Persian kachi pudding: traditional saffron dessert for postpartum recovery

New motherhood can be exhausting. Some women seem to bounce back quickly, while others, like me, face terrible fatigue. For me, postpartum anemia compounded the challenge of recovery after a really intense delivery complete with forceps. However, I found an unexpected source of comfort and nourishment in Persian kachi pudding.

Kachi pudding comes from Kerman, in southeastern Iran. It’s definitely more than a dessert, it is a traditional remedy infused with saffron and rosewater, served to women recovering from childbirth or menstruation. Across Iran, kachi is cherished for its nourishing, restorative qualities and is a comfort food passed down through generations.

In H’s grandmother’s kitchen, kachi was treated with care. Its purpose was to provide warmth, energy, and nourishment when it was most needed.

Unlike standard British staples such as tea and toast, kachi pudding offers concentrated energy. Its combination of butter, sugar, and wheat flour provides both calories and comfort, while saffron and rosewater add an aromatic, soothing quality. For new mothers coping with sleepless nights and physical recovery, it is sustenance in its most nurturing form.

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Kachi pudding is more than a sweet dish. It represents a tradition of caring for women during periods of physical recovery, offering warmth, energy, and nourishment when it is most needed.

For me, it became a small but meaningful part of postpartum recovery and a reminder that sometimes nourishment is about far more than simply eating.

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