The Guardian | Vanessa Thorpe : Magazine apologises after British-Iranian readers say inclusion of recipe for curry is �lazy, casual racism�
A sparkly bonfire night cake and a traditional English sausage and mash were both on offer in October�s edition of Sainsbury�s Magazine. More prominent than this seasonal fare, though, was a bold attempt to broaden readers� horizons: a front-page photo of a �golden Persian curry�, tagged as �the dinner party dish you HAVE to try�.
But the magazine�s fusion adventure has now backfired. Its editors stand accused of �lazy, casual racism� because, according to Iranian readers, chefs and fans of Persian cookery, the ingredients bear little or no relation to the region�s authentic cuisine.
The culinary controversy soon spilled on to the pages of the journal�s Twitter feed and Instagram account, where accusations of sloppy �cultural appropriation� abounded, although they have since been taken down by the magazine. Reader Pooneh Arrondelle wrote: �This is NOT a Persian recipe, it can�t even be said to be inspired by Persian cuisine. No Persian/Iranian would ever mix these ingredients. You think sprinkling a few pomegranate seeds on to something makes it Persian?�