The Turkish saffron rice pudding often garnished with almonds is called zerde.
Zerde is a bright yellow rice dessert flavored with saffron, sugar and often rose water. Unlike many rice puddings, it is traditionally cooked with water rather than milk, making it lighter and dairy-free. Raisins, currants, pine nuts, pistachios, pomegranate seeds or almonds may be used as garnishes, depending on the region and recipe.
The dessert has roots in the broader Persianate and Mesopotamian culinary world and became part of Turkish and Ottoman cuisine. Its name is linked to the Persian word zard, meaning yellow or gold, a reference to saffron’s vivid color. Some Turkish recipes also use turmeric or safflower to strengthen the color, although saffron provides the characteristic fragrance in the classic description.
Zerde is strongly associated with celebrations, including weddings, births and religious holidays. It is not the same as sütlaç, the familiar milk-based Turkish rice pudding. Aşure is a mixed grain-and-fruit dessert, while güllaç is made with thin starch wafers and milk, so neither fits the saffron-rice clue as precisely.