YAZD, Iran — This desert provincial capital in central Iran is known for its honesty, generosity, high clay walls, fine woven silk textiles, a pre-Islamic Zoroastrian fire temple and soaring wind towers that naturally cool rooms below.

And sweets.

The first time I sampled the sweets of Yazd was one winter evening in 1998. It was at the end of Eftar, the nightly ritual of breaking a 12-hour fast that Iranian Muslims observe during the holy month of Ramadan. I had been invited to dine with some of the women closest to Mohammad Khatami, who was president then: his mother, three of his sisters and a gaggle of cousins, grandchildren and family friends.

Image Preparing the sweets. Credit... Elaine Sciolino for The New York Times

After sitting cross-legged for a lavish dinner served on a tablecloth on the carpeted floor, we moved into a television room that smelled of cardamom and sugar, where glasses of strong, burning tea and a high pyramid of local specialties awaited us. The sweets were so sweet that I left on a sugar high that prevented me from falling asleep for hours.