Posted: 10/10/2008 11:27:43 AM EDT
can anyone please school me on saffron.... i sometimes see it as part of a recipe but don't know what it is and where you can get it.......thanks for any and all replies....
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Saffron is a wonderful spice from the islands and India as well. It comes several ways, the two most popular are ground and in threads. Ground saffron is yellow in color and the threads that I have seen are red. Both are worth their weight in Gold. Saffron isn't that hard to find, any good supermarket will have it. |
Just do not get "ground" saffron, get the whole stigma kind. I dont mind the spanish with a bit of yellow since it tyically a little cheaper. But it is the most expensive spice. Reason being. It is hand picked and a flower yields typically 3 stigmas. See photo below (the red ones) the yellow, styles or something like that. Sounds like a fun job. NOT.
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saffron threads are around $180 to$200 an ounce. "ground" saffron is in the $50 to $60 range ..Saffron is the dried stigmas of crocus sativus flowers, a small perennial plant about a foot tall. Each crocus has three female parts (stigmas), two male parts (stamen). Each stigma is threadlike in appearance and is red or dark red in color towards the top and yellow towards the bottom of the stigma, where it is attached to the flower. Saffron has a bitter flavor and a pungent odor. The flavor, aroma, and coloring capability come from the red part of the stigma. The yellow part has no value as a spice. We counted enough unbroken threads of our Kashmiri saffron until its weight reached one gram. There were 570 threads of Kashmiri saffron in one gram. Since three threads represent one flower, It would take on average about 190 flowers to produce one gram of saffron. Keep in mind that Kashmiri saffron threads are larger than other non-Kashmiri saffron threads. Saffron has been used as spice and coloring agent for many centuries and has numerous medicinal properties. It is by far one of the oldest herbs ever used for medicinal purposes in the history of mankind and up to this date it is being used in some regions of the world such as India. It has been written that around 600 B.C. Phoenicians were looking for a mysterious plant in Kashmir, one whose flower had silky stigmas with a pungent aroma. The stigmas were thought to cure many illnesses and also had the capability of making strong dye. Europeans are believed to be among the first to use saffron as a spice in their cooking. Saffron is also used in many other industries such as the tobacco industry, alcohol industry, dairy industry, cosmetic industry for perfumes and facial creams, and the dye industry. Cleopatra used it to give her skin a golden color and romantic aroma. Saffron is also used in religious ceremonies. Tibetan Monks use saffron for prayer and blessing. Calligraphers have used saffron to write religious books such as the Koran. |
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The cost can vary greatly. I have not ordered from these guys, but maybe next time www.theposter.com/saffron2.html Have ordered from www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyssaffron.html the other place I can not remember for the life of me. I do not buy OZs. 5-10 grams if possible is fine with me. Still depending on where and when, the cost has varied greatly. |
