Re: Superstitions and popular myths in Afghanistan
This is called espand (also spelled esphand) and is a type of seed. It’s burned on charcoal (or even over the flame on a stove) to ward off nazar, as well as remove nazar. The idea is to burn espand seeds during which time the seeds make a popping sound. The smoke that comes from the burning seeds is then circled around one’s head and around the home. The smoke and the popping sound are said to remove the nazar and also keep jealous people away.
Here’s what it looks like:
*The small metal utensil is used to pick up the seeds and place them over the heat. The coil part of the utensil is sometimes wrapped in foil to keep the seeds from spilling out and is then placed over heat.