Afghania
Restaurant · Georgetown ·
Afghan dumplings, lamb shank, qabuli, vegan options
Afghan dumplings, lamb shank, qabuli, vegan options
"In Georgetown Afghania opened as a white-tablecloth Afghani restaurant offering dumplings, kabobs, slow-braised and smoked meats, and regional dishes such as shinwari karahi (a Pakistani-influenced simmered stew with masala, tomatoes, pickled onions, and chilies); the female-run restaurant also provides plenty of vegan and vegetarian options." - Tierney Plumb
"Month-old Afghania brings Georgetown dumplings, kabobs, slow-braised and smoked meats, and other meaty nods to the “Afghan frontier food” of its surrounding mountainous regions. That includes shinwari karahi, a Pakistani-influenced simmered stew made with masala, tomatoes, pickled onions, and chilies. Female-run Afghania is the latest area Afghan restaurant from Sofia Masroor and her three daughters, who are also behind Bistro Aracosia in Palisades, Aracosia in McLean, and Afghan Bistro in Springfield. Its newest location continues to offer plenty of vegan and vegetarian options." - Tierney Plumb
"Founded from a D.C. apartment in June by Tahmina Ghaffer, Moonflowers is a saffron-importing business created to support a community of largely female farmers in the Herat region of Afghanistan. The name is an homage to the predawn harvesting process: workers hand-pick fragile purple crocus flowers before sunrise, removing the three delicate stigmas by hand within the flowers' 48-hour lifespan — a labor-intensive effort that can require upward of 70,000 flowers to yield one pound of spice that retails for roughly $5,000 to $10,000. Moonflowers emphasizes quality (super negin and sargol stigmas, assessed by color, aroma, and flavor) and sources Afghan saffron that has recently been ranked among the best in the world by the International Taste and Quality Institute; Ghaffer also frames saffron as a profitable alternative to opium that empowers women, who reportedly perform about 80 percent of processing. Although the Taliban takeover has put female harvesters at risk and led to some women being too frightened to return to the fields (with male laborers harvesting this season), Moonflowers says it has enough product to last through spring 2022, strong operations and sourcing, and remains committed to supporting Afghan women while donating to causes such as Skateistan (1 percent of profits) and the International Rescue Committee." - Stephanie Ganz
Scott W.
Dustin J.
Thuan T.
Zain W.
Leanne T.
Samer K.
Saridaaas
Bernardo M.