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Saffron is the name
given to the dried
stigmata and part of the
style of the saffron
crocus, traditionally
called Crocus sativus,
which are harvested,
dried, and used for
cooking. Saffron is the
world's most expensive
herb because it takes
4,000 to 5,000
hand-picked stigmas to
produce an ounce of the
herb. Saffron has a
pleasant spicy smell,
and it contains a dye
that colors food a
distinctive deep golden
color. Saffron's short
blooming season, about
three weeks in the fall,
and its labor-intensive
harvest make it the most
expensive of the herbs
and spices on the
market. Each crocus bulb
produces two to nine
flowers per season, and
each flower has three
long red-orange stigma
branches, attached
together at the base.
The reported life zone
of saffron is 6 to 19
degrees centigrade with
an annual precipitation
of 0.1 to 1.1 meter and
a soil pH of 5.8 to 7.8.
The crop grows best in
well-drained soils of
medium fertility.
Planted from early
spring to autumn from
corms, the plants can
re index undisturbed for
three to five years
before they need to be
divided. Blossoming
lasts only a few weeks,
and flowers must be
collected daily as they
open in order to remove
the stigmas. Saffron
contains a volatile oil,
picrococin, crocin, a
fixed oil, and wax. The
volatile oil consists of
safranal, oxysafranal,
pinene, cineole
isophorone, napthalene
and other compounds.
Extracted saffron is a
red-orange color, and
has an aromatic odor and
a bitter taste.
Principal coloring
pigments of saffron
include crocin, crocetin,
carotene, lycopene,
zeaxanthin, and
picrocrocin.
Cooking with Saffron
As a spice it is used
for coloring and flavor
improving while giving a
distinct aroma and a
beautiful golden color.
The use of saffron as a
subtle and aromatic
flavouring is now
widespread with the
trend to use natural
products in food. Today
saffron is widely used
in the food industry as
one of the ingredients
in dehydrated food
stuff, mixes, soups, ice
cream and many other
processed food products.
In Iran a great number
of foods are cooked
using saffron. But
Iranians are not the
only nation who
appreciate it. Saffron
constitutes an
irreplaceable condiment
in so many international
dishes. In Indian and
Sub-continent cuisine,
saffron has varied uses,
a necessity in many
dishes, specially used
with milk. In the
Middle-East it is
extensively used in
rice, coffee, desserts.
In the Arab countries of
the Gulf, visitors are
welcomed with a drink
prepared from coffee,
saffron and cardamom.
Tea is also prepared
with saffron. A
refreshing saffron-syrup
can be prepared at home.
In Spain, "Spanish
Paella" and "Zarzuela de
Pescado" are recognized
throughout the world and
any visitor who comes to
Spain, will not leave
this country without
tasting what they call
the typical Spanish
cuisine.
In Italy, "Rissotto A La
Milanese" has become the
Italian dish par
excellence. In Sweden,
there exists a tradition
to give greetings to
family members and
friends and offer them
"Saffron Cake". In
Japan, the use of
saffron is also
increasing. Japanese are
great consumers of raw
fish, particular about
its presentation.
Saffron enhances the
taste of fish, also
giving it a
yellow-golden color.
Medicinal uses: This
ancient spice is used in
homeopathic medicine. It
is said to be an
effective stimulant, and
is used to treat
hyperthermia during
winter in the snow-clad
Himalayas. In books on
herbal medicine it is
recommended for the
treatment of fevers,
menstrual problems and
hysteria. It is used to
calm nerves, promote
perspiration, and as an
aphrodisiac, although
too much can be
narcotic. Externally it
is applied for bruises,
rheumatism and
neuralgia.
Hipocrates, Teofasto,
Galeno, and other
therapists attributed
saffron with medical
properties, because they
considered it as:
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· A sedative which
combats cough &
bronchitis
· Mitigates colic &
insomnia
· Calming effect on
infants during teething
fits.
· Favoring expulsion of
gases accumulated in
digestive tract.
· An anti-spasmodic
· Favoring digestion and
strengthens the function
of stomach
Saffron has been used
thousand of years by
therapists and medical
practitioners in herbal
formulations. Here is
list of a few uses that
saffron is put to in
medicine as a cure and
as a preventive. The
list by no means
exhaustive and is just
to give you an idea of
the usefulness of this
exotic herb:
· Regulates menstrual
disorders
· Used in weakness for
rejuvenation
· Excellent against
headaches, when applied
as a paste to the
forehead.
· As an anti-depressant.
· As aphrodisiac for
impotency.
· Prolongs vitality.
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How to Use Saffron
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In order to get the most
out of saffron it should
be soaked in a little
warm water for 10
minutes before being
added to food at the
last stage of cooking.
(The aroma, flavor and
color come out much
better this way. )
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The cultivation of
saffron
The cultivation of
saffron needs an extreme
climate; hot and dry
weather in summer and
cold in winter. The land
must be dry, calcareous,
aired, flat and without
trees. Attributes that
you find in the south of
Khorassan, which has
made it one of the most
important production
areas in the world.
The soil must be
equilibrated in organic
material in order to
avoid risks of erosion,
and have some depth that
allows the water to
drain so that the bulb
is not damaged. The
sowing takes place in
the months of June and
July. The bulbs are
placed in ridges of
about 20 cm. depth. The
distance between the
bulbs should be of 10
cm. The sowing of bulbs
is a very hard job
because it is done by
hand, and forces you to
walk in a bent position
for hundreds of yards.
The harvesting takes
place between the end of
October-beginning of
November. The rose of
saffron blooms at dawn
and should stay the
least possible time in
the plant because it
withers quickly and the
stigmas loose color and
aroma. This is why they
are gathered between
dawn and 10 a.m.
The stigmas of saffron
have a high level of
moisture, so it is
necessary to dry them
for its good
preservation. This is
the process of roasting,
in which the stigmas get
it definitive aspect:
bright red, rigid and
without wrinkles.
After the process of
roasting, the stigmas of
saffron would have 1/5
of their original size.
This means that for one
kg of raw stigmas we
will obtain 200 g of
saffron ready for
consumption.
For its perfect
preservation, saffron is
stored in big wooden
trunks lined with metal
plate inside protecting
it from heat, cold and
specially moisture. Once
the flowers are
gathered, stigmas are
separated from the rest
of the flower.
