By Ashley Lockyer The scent of toasted cashews wafts into the streets and ornate Persian silverwork adorns a shop brimming with baskets of colourful flavours. But, this isn’t a bazaar in the middle east, this is Coquitlam. Step inside Ayoub’s Dried Fruits & Nuts here or in several locations across Metro Vancouver to sample the roasting traditions and ambiance that embrace the shop’s origins in Iran. “In the middle east, there are nut stores on every corner, people are used to them. But here, we had to build a culture,” said Amir Hosseini, owner of Ayoub’s Dried Fruits & Nuts. Amir’s father, Ayoub himself, opened a small roasting store in Iran. The country is completely saturated with toasted nuts shops, so it’s a tough market to crack. Ayoub worked at crafting distinct recipes and mixes, and people went nuts! Soon, he had a million dollar business shipping all over the…
