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Next target? S’mores.

And don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Via Times of Israel.

It is Iran’s answer to the Academie Francaise, keeping the Farsi language safe from the corrupting influence of foreign words. Its latest, unlikely target: something called “Nutella Bars.”

The state-run Academy of Persian Language and Literature has imposed a number of changes in recent years, particularly aimed at curbing the intrusion of English….

The Academy’s latest target has caused some bafflement: a popular chain of waffle and crepe cafes called Nutella Bars after the Italian hazelnut and cocoa spread in which they smother their snacks.

“The authorities said the signs must change. They are very strict about it,” said a staff member at one branch, asking not to be named….

“Unfortunately, places called Nutella Bar have recently been spreading in Tehran,” wrote the head of the Academy, Golamali Hadad Adel, in a letter to police last month.

“In these shops, chocolate is served with special bread and ice cream. The Academy proposes the use of ‘Hot Bread, Hot Chocolate’ for these shops.”….

Technically, shops in Iran are banned from using foreign names, though this is widely flouted and newcomers are often surprised about the amount of English used alongside Farsi in public spaces — from street signs to billboards to shop fronts.

Given the many unlicensed Levi’s, Apple and IKEA stores in Iranian cities — all operating without permission from the official companies in the isolated Islamic republic — it is not clear why the Nutella Bar chain was targeted, though some have suggested the word “bar” may be part of the problem in a country where alcohol is illegal….

Related:

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