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saffron crocus
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The beautiful purple flowers of the crocus cartwrightianus plant each
produce three bright yellow-red stigmas. About 80,000 of these stigmas
must be picked by hand to make one pound of dried saffron.
This labor intensive harvesting makes saffron the most expensive spice in the
world on a per pound basis. However, the flavor of saffron is very
intense and tiny amounts are used in recipes.
Most of the world's saffron is cultivated in Spain and Iran but it is also grown
in Greece, Italy, Turkey and India. The world's smallest saffron crop is
produced in Mund, Switzerland, the only cool weather location to successfully
produce it.
Saffron gets its bright yellow-orange color from cartenoids, the same compounds
that give carrots and pumpkins their bright colors. The name 'saffron'
is from the Arabic word for yellow, ze'fran.
Most often seen in aromatic rice dishes from India and Asia, saffron also shows
up in the yoghurt drink, lassi, as well as saffron-flavored butter and saffron
ice cream.
Saffron is very good with asparagus, carrots, chicken, eggs, fish and seafood,
leeks, mushrooms, pheasant, rabbit, spinach and winter squash.
Saffron combines well with cardamom,
cinnamon, ginger,
nutmeg, paprika,
pepper and vanilla.
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