East & West Gourmet Afghan Food

East & West Gourmet Afghan Food sells delicious bolani, and delicious sauces to go along with it, at the Davis Farmers Market. "Bolani" means "filled bread" in Farsi. It is a thin flat-bread baked with vegetables in them. East & West offers them in four flavors: Spinach, Pumpkin, Potato, and Lentil. They are low-calorie, low-carb, low-fat, and low-sodium; but they are nutritionally dense and sustainable and can be served as a whole meal in itself. Best of all, they are deliciously addictive.

In the US, East & West Gourmet Afghan Food is the only trademarked manufacturer of Bolani.

East & West also sells in up to 100 Farmers' Markets all over California as well as Davis Food Coop, Whole Foods, Mollie Stone's and Andronico's.

At the Farmers' Market, bolanis come two in a package which costs $6. However, when buying at the Farmers' Market it's hard to tell what the "real" price is because no matter what you buy, they will offer you a better deal if you buy more. So, one strategy is to ask the vendor to ring up fewer items than you actually want. Another effective strategy is to tell the vendor up-front that you want a good deal on a bulk buy. They are usually very accommodating and always throw in extras such as pita breads, lavashes, or baqlavas.

The bolanis seem expensive, but half of that will fill you up. They are low-carb because a minimal use of wheat is used. They are low-fat because the bolanis are lightly brushed with oil and then baked. They are low-sodium because a slight amount of salt is used. A combination of all these factors as well as the fact that the bolanis are baked with healthy vegetables in them make this delicious treat very low-calorie.

Visit any of the Farmers' Market locations for sampling of any of the bolanis and sauces. They are very generous with handing out free samples. In fact they offer sample after sample until you are full and can barely walk away. They can be aggressive at times but are always friendly and courteous.

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