It is hard to imagine a snack less glamorous. Talkhan doesn’t melt in the mouth. It doesn’t sparkle in the light of Instagram reels. It’s crumbly, bitter, and slightly oil-slicked from crushed walnuts. But in the high valleys of northern Afghanistan, places like Parwan province, especially Ghorband, Badakhshan, and Panjsher, this austere block of pressed mulberries and nuts has done something no chia smoothie or oat-flax bar has ever managed. It brought the Red Army to its knees. Read the full piece on my Substack. Link in bio 📜👆🏻 #Afghanistan #Talkhan #Parwan #Badakhshan #Bamyan #Ghorband #food #homemade #village #nature #mullberry #walnut #pastry #sovietunion #russian #russia #redarmy #war #conflict #afghanwar #mujahideen #homemadesweet #energybar #proteinbar