Whether buttery tahdig, toasty nurungji, or the nutty edges of paella, here’s where to find the city’s best versions of scorched rice
All over the world, children fight over it: whether for the popcorn butteriness of the tahdig crust, the nutty kernels at the base of the paella pan, or the toasty edge of Korean nurungji. Scorched rice is a big deal. In the cuisines that venerate it, it’s usually something to eat at home, a happy accident and a byproduct of preparing rice in a large pot on the stove. It’s an essential bargaining chip over family lunch: If the kids behave and eat quietly, they’ll get some of the buried treasure.
Perhaps it’s only a matter of time, though, until a savvy PR decides to turnFor a few dishes, the word is already out. In more and more Persian restaurants, it’s possible to order rice with tahdig or even just pure tahdig — a dense web of brittle, flavoursome grains — for the table. Socarrat, the singed bottom of a paella, is now more than leverage for parents with naughty children; it’s become something of an obsession for some of Spain’s best chefs.