The world's most precious spice, saffron imparts a beautiful color, sweet aroma and distinct taste to Mediterranean, Arabian, and Indian recipes. Use it in grain, fish, and egg dishes, salads and dressings, breads and sauces.

Botanical name: Crocus sativus L. , Crocus sativus

Saffron is the dried stigma of Crocus sativus, a perennial, stemless herb of the Iradeae family. In the center of each long, narrow, tubular, purple flower is a pale yellow stalk called the style. The style divides into an orange-red stigma which, when dried, is the spice we know as saffron. It's easy to understand why saffron is so expensive-- cultivation requires strict climatic conditions and the hand-harvesting is extremely labor intensive.

Growing high quality saffron requires a subtropical climate where dry to moderately humid weather prevails at flowering time. Any change in these conditions can negatively impact the quality of saffron's color, flavor and aroma. Extreme care and patience are required to harvest the flower, which is handpicked in the early morning to keep the day's heat from diminishing its quality. The stigmas are hand removed-- using a thumbnail or scissors-- the same day. Then the saffron is dried in the sun or in the heat of a fire, taking care not to over dry, which can give the saffron a medicinal aftertaste. All this work must be repeated without stop until the harvest is complete-- a painstaking task given that it takes over 60,000 flowers to provide one pound of dried saffron!

Saffron is graded according to stigma length and intensity of color, aroma and flavor. India has two grades, mongra and lachcha, with mongra considered the superior quality. In Spain, there are three grades. Mancha is considered the best, followed by Rio and then Sierra. The high price of saffron makes it an easy target for adulteration, a crime punishable in 15th century Germany by death. The most common way to adulterate saffron is to add to its weight-- allowing it to absorb moisture by storing it in a damp place, or coating it with oil, honey or vegetable glycerin. It may also be cut with plant materials like marigold, safflower, calendula, arnica and corn silk-- or adulterated with the styles, stamen and strips of the corolla of the saffron flower itself.

The Persians, Greeks and Romans valued saffron and used it as a narcotic and to color and spice foods and perfume their baths, houses, and temples. Saffron was introduced to Spain in the 10th century AD by the Arabs. In fact, the name saffron is derived from the Arabic words za'faran, meaning yellow, and sahafarn, meaning thread. Saffron dye-- a deep yellow, has been used to color the robes of Buddhist monks and rulers in Greece and China and to dye the hair of ladies at Henry VIII's court.

Directions: Steep threads for 20 minutes in something acidic such as vinegar or lemon juice, or something alcoholic like wine, in order to extract the full flavor, or finely powder the thread by pounding in a mortar and pestle. 1/2 tsp. of threads makes 1/8 tsp. of powder. 1/2 tsp. of threads is generally enough saffron for most dishes.

Suggested Uses: Saffron imparts a lovely color, strong, sweet aroma, and distinct, bittersweet taste. It's often used in Mediterranean, Arabian, and Indian cooking. You'll find it in French bouillabaisse, Spanish paella, Italian risotto, and Indian pilafs. In England it's combined with dried fruit in yeast cake. Saffron is added to nonalcoholic beverages and is an ingredient in vermouth and bitters. Try it in cheese, egg and fish dishes, marinades, sauces, vinegars and salad dressings, and with grains.

Saffron is cultivated in Spain, Africa, Turkey, Russia, Iran, India, and China.