It is said that saffron is the noblest of spices. It is used as spice, dye, cosmetic and “medicine” for several thousand years. It has a wide range of uses in the kitchen – it is most appreciated for adding color, flavor and aroma to dishes.
Saffron is a spice obtained from the dried flowers of the cultivated crocus. The most valuable are the pistils with stigmas, enclosed in a light purple flower. It is the threads obtained from them that create a valuable, bright red spice. The largest crops are located in India, Turkey, Iran and Spain. Today the plant no longer occurs in the wild.
It has high cultivation requirements, so the process of obtaining saffron is not easy at all. This variety of crocus likes full sun. Interestingly, it does not bloom in spring, but in autumn. Harvesting is carried out for two weeks – day and night – because the flowering period is extremely short. That’s why it’s such an expensive spice, because there must be three pistils found in every crocus hand-picked and dried. It takes as many as 150,000 flowers to prepare a kilogram of saffron. Only a month after drying, the threads can be used as a spice or dye.
In Poland, a kilogram of spice costs up to PLN 30,000. Saffron threads available in supermarkets cost approximately PLN 6 per 0.1 gram. Despite the high price, many chefs cannot imagine their kitchen without saffron. All because of the properties of the spice, which contains as many as 150 nutritional substances.
Contains saffron strong antioxidantswhich protect against rapid aging of the body, development of cancer, atherosclerosis and diabetes, but also they are an anticonvulsant and anti-inflammatory agent. They support the immune system in the fight against bacteria and viruses.
It is also known antidepressant effect of the spice. It increases the concentration of serotonin and dopamine in the central nervous system, positively affecting well-being. The plant also has properties antispasmodicimproving appetite and supporting digestion. Can be used as natural remedy for ulcers.
However, you must remember that saffron should not be given to children and pregnant women. In larger doses it may lead to miscarriage.
One strand of saffron is enough to change the color and taste of the entire dish. The aroma of the spice is most noticeable in dishes with rice. Saffron can be felt in different ways – sweet or bitterdepending on the additives. Sometimes it is more honeyed and floral, but sometimes it also becomes mushroomy or spicy. It must be used in moderationbecause in excess it will add too much bitterness to the dish.
The use of saffron in cooking is wide – it is used in both oriental and European cuisine. Goes well with fish and seafood dishes. It is added to coffee or meat sauces. It gives cakes, bread and rice a beautiful yellow color. One of the most popular main dishes that use spice is Italian saffron risotto. It is a combination of rice, saffron, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, butter, dry white wine, onion and broth. It is also added, for example, to the Iranian dessert, i.e sholezard. It is a rice pudding made of saffron, sugar, rose water, butter, cinnamon and cardamom.
Source: Terazgotuje.pl, wapteka.pl
