The history of crocus cultivation goes back more than 4.5 thousand years. It is believed that the paintings on the walls of Neolithic caves were made with saffron-based dye. Buddhist monks used it to dye fabrics. In ancient Greece, crocus flowers were sprinkled on beds, saffron baths were taken, it was used as a powerful aphrodisiac, perfume ingredient and to flavor wine.
Iran is considered the birthplace of this bulbous plant of the iris family. Today it is grown in India, Greece, Pakistan, Spain, and Crimea. Hippocrates mentioned saffron in his writings as a remedy for many diseases. Since ancient times, Eastern women have used it in their beauty recipes. This spice has a multifaceted taste and goes well with desserts, baked goods, vegetables and meat dishes. It is added for coloring and as an aromatic component in sausages, cheeses, tea, and alcoholic beverages.
Spice composition and nutritional value
Saffron contains important nutrients for humans, vitamins, macro and micronutrients.
The nutritional value
100 grams of spice contains:
Chemical composition
Vitamin composition
The rich chemical composition determines the beneficial properties of saffron. But due to the high concentration of active substances, it is important to be careful and add no more than 10-12 spicy threads to food. Excess spice not only adds bitterness and spoils the taste of the dish. Just a few grams of spice can cause severe poisoning.
Useful properties and applications
Saffron is used in various fields: cooking, medicine, cosmetology. It gives dishes a special taste and aroma, helps preserve youth and beauty of the skin, improves well-being and is used to treat many diseases.
Use in cooking
Culinary experts value saffron for its many-sided qualities. It is combined with basil, rosemary but must certainly dominate. At the same time, saffron independently replaces a whole bouquet of spices and masterfully performs a culinary solo in many dishes. It gives the dish a delicate aroma and spicy taste with notes of bitterness and honey.
Several threads give the dish a beautiful golden hue. The taste, aroma and color of the spice are not revealed immediately, but several hours after adding. This “king” of spices also has preservative properties, so dishes prepared with it remain fresh for several days.
Saffron is widely used in Oriental, French, and Spanish cuisine. It is difficult to name a product to which this spice cannot be applied. Chefs improvise and combine it with fish and meat, fruits and vegetables, flavor desserts, drinks, soups, rice, baked goods, bread, sauces and marinades with bright threads.
Saffron is used in different recipes. It is added to rich baked goods when kneading the dough, to desserts, fish and meat dishes 5–10 minutes before complete readiness. For convenience, an aromatic tincture is prepared from the spicy threads in water, broth or dry white wine, and then added to the dish.
Application in medicine
Saffron has unique properties and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of all organs and systems of our body. In small quantities, it relieves melancholy and depression, promotes the production of the hormone of joy - serotonin.
Saffron is an excellent antispasmodic, anticonvulsant, diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent. Helps quickly eliminate hangover, improves memory, normalizes digestion, and enhances potency in men. In ancient times, a spicy tincture was given to women during menstruation and before childbirth to relieve pain. Saffron was used to treat dry bronchitis, measles and whooping cough. Its healing infusion was used to wash purulent wounds and treat boils.
In modern medicine, this spice is used to prepare eye drops and some tonic tinctures. Its antimutagenic properties and ability to resist the development of cancerous tumors are being actively studied.
In the form of a tincture, the spice is taken orally or used externally (baths and lotions). To treat the respiratory tract, it is recommended to inhale its aroma. Migraines and insomnia were combated by placing stamens or crocus flowers near the pillow or chewing one thread before bed.
Use in cosmetology
Saffron improves the structure of the skin, rejuvenates, tones, moisturizes and nourishes it, so cosmetics manufacturers add crocus essential oil to creams, tonics, lotions, hair and body masks, shampoos and serums. Perfumers often focus on saffron notes when creating new fragrances.
At home, you can add the seasoning yourself to shampoo, massage oil or cream immediately before use. For aromatherapy procedures, it is recommended to drip a few drops of oil concentrate into the bath and make saffron aromatic medallions.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding
Crocus is a toxic plant. It has a strong effect on the nervous system and the entire body. For children under two years of age, pregnant and lactating women, dishes and preparations with saffron are contraindicated. In expectant mothers, the spice increases the tone of the uterus and can stimulate miscarriage. An overdose of the active substance, which passes through the blood into the milk of a nursing woman, can provoke convulsions in the child.
Contraindications
Saffron is known for its medicinal qualities, but can cause serious harm to the body. In a completely healthy person, 2 grams of this spice can cause vomiting, diarrhea and poisoning. In case of hypertension, an overdose provokes severe dizziness and convulsions. The spice is contraindicated for people suffering from diabetes and heart and vascular diseases. An overdose can cause nervous overexcitation, signs of drug intoxication, coma and even death. Consuming the seasoning with alcoholic beverages increases intoxication.
How to select and store saffron
A low-quality spice consists of red and yellow filaments and may contain other parts of the flower. Unscrupulous manufacturers also mix in turmeric, marigolds or tinting safflower. Good and expensive saffron does not contain impurities and has a rich red hue.
The seasoning should be stored in an airtight container without access to moisture or light for no more than 2 years, then it loses its color and aroma. To check the quality of the spice, just pour a few stamens of saffron with warm water. Fresh and properly prepared threads quickly swell and color the water. If you want to protect yourself from buying a fake, choose whole stamens rather than powder.
Saffron, whose Latin name is crocus, is a plant belonging to the Iris family, growing in forests, steppes, and also in meadows. The culture is considered the most expensive spice in the world. The only spices are the stigmas of the flower. Everything about saffron, its use and history will be described in this article.
What is saffron
The plant grows ten centimeters in height. The culture consists of leaves and three flowers with orange stigmas on the pistil. Flowers grow directly from the bulb. Saffron blooms from October to November, depending on the variety, and may bloom in the spring. Flowers can be white, orange, blue and purple. The fruits are capsules with small angular seeds.
In the natural environment, there are no less than eighty species of this culture. Most of them are on the verge of extinction and are listed in the Red Book.
The most common varieties:
- Alatavsky;
- Banatsky;
- Spring;
- Nigro Boy;
- Pallas;
- Remembrance;
- Heyfel;
- Golden-flowered;
- Reticulate;
- Imereti;
- Indian;
- Turkish;
- Narrow-leaved.
The reader should find out where ground saffron is added.
What is useful, how to use it
Saffron is a spice that has been used since ancient times. It was mentioned as early as 1500 BC. in Egyptian medical texts. In Chinese medicine, this plant was remembered back in 2600 BC, and you can also find a description of this spice in the Old Testament.
The spice was used for:
- giving energy and love power;
- in case of cataract disease;
- as an antidote;
- as an incense to fight evil spirits.
Saffron has been used since ancient times
In those days, saffron was an excellent gift for high-ranking nobles. In addition, it was considered chic to wear things dyed with saffron.
The homeland of the plant is:
- India,
- Asia Minor,
- Iran.
Later the plant migrated to Turkey and Greece. Later, this plant was forgotten, only in the ninth and tenth centuries did the Arab trade in the spice resume. Thus, the plant began to travel around the countries. First to Spain, then to France and Italy.
The plant now grows in:
- Greece,
- Iran,
- India,
- Pakistan,
- China,
- Japan,
- Portugal,
- Transcaucasia,
- Crimea.
Growing saffron
Only in the wild this plant does not grow. However, the spice is produced only in India, Iran and Spain. Many people are interested in how to use saffron correctly.
Saffron is used in cooking, in perfumery, as a medicine, and also as a dye.
It should be noted! This is a very expensive spice, the cost is due to the fact that it is not easy to collect, since each flower has only three stigmas. In order to collect just half a kilogram of saffron, you will need to collect stigmas from 70,000, or even 250,000 flowers. The collection is carried out manually after the flower has fully opened.
What does it smell like, what does it taste like?
When buying a spice, you first need to pay attention to the color and smell. Saffron has a distinct red color, sometimes with an orange tint. They sell it in the form of powder or threads, which are essentially dried stigmas. So what does saffron smell like? The smell of the spice is very strong, slightly intoxicating. The taste of saffron is bitter. Many people are interested in how to use saffron and how to use it correctly.
To color a liquid with a capacity of three liters, it will be enough to throw only two threads into it. The aroma will fully develop during the cooking process and will not disappear even after prolonged cooking. In order for the spice to reveal its full bouquet, it is best to pre-soak it in warm water or milk. When preparing dishes, it is important to know what saffron is combined with. Adding spices gives food an amazing flavor. It is best to use an alcohol tincture of this spice. Add it in liquid form to dishes a few drops at a time.
The smell of the spice is very strong, slightly intoxicating.
Where can I add saffron spice? Flower stigmas are added to desserts prepared with milk, for cream cakes, ice cream, mousses, and jellies. In oriental cuisine, saffron is included in recipes for meat dishes, pilaf, seafood, and served with tea and coffee.
The most popular dish where saffron is added is risotto.
To prepare it you will need:
- two hundred and fifty grams of arborio;
- half a liter of water;
- two small spoons of lobster meat;
- two saffron stigmas;
- red pepper;
- bulb;
- two cloves of garlic;
- two hundred and fifty grams of Parmesan cheese;
- two hundred and fifty grams of basil;
- lemon.
Risotto with saffron
To prepare the dish, first make a solution of water, saffron and lobster meat. Onions, garlic and peppers are fried in a frying pan, and rice is added. The mixture is filled with saffron liquid and Parmesan and basil are added.
For those who care about their health, pearl barley porridge is perfect, to which you can also add saffron.
To prepare it you will need the following ingredients:
- Two hundred grams of pearl barley;
- Two hundred grams of broth;
- Carrot;
- Salt;
- A spoon of vegetable oil;
For porridge you need to prepare an oil extract:
- two tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- a pinch of allspice,
- black pepper,
- coriander and cilantro,
- ginger,
- saffron,
- carnations,
- cinnamon,
- dill.
Barley porridge
Pearl barley is sorted, washed and soaked for 12 hours. After this, the water is drained, the cereal is washed and poured into the frying pan. The pearl barley is fried for several minutes and poured into boiling broth. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and add all the seasonings there. Fry for a few more minutes and add to the porridge. Sauteed onions and carrots are prepared separately. After the porridge is ready, add onions and carrots to it and continue to simmer over low heat for another five or six minutes.
Fans of oriental sweets are interested in how to properly soak saffron for praise. The recipe is quite simple. Pour a pinch of powder or threads of stigmas into a small glass of boiling water and add a couple of drops of red beet juice.
Interesting! Turmeric is what you can use to replace saffron. This substitute is slightly cheaper, but has similar properties, smell and taste.
Medicinal properties of saffron
Saffron contains a large amount of vitamins and other beneficial substances. Therefore, you should know what saffron is used for, besides cooking.
The spice is used to treat the following diseases:
- Asthma;
- Whooping cough;
- Phlegm;
- Atherosclerosis;
- Flatulence;
- Cough;
- Insomnia;
- Depression;
- Alzheimer's disease;
- Hemoptysis;
- Heartburn;
- Premenstrual syndrome;
- Premature ejaculation;
- Infertility;
- Alopecia.
The spice is used to treat many diseases
In addition, this plant is an excellent aphrodesiac for men.
After most experiments, its medicinal properties have been proven for the following diseases:
- Anxiety disorders;
- Asthenozoospermia;
- Cardiac hypertrophy;
- Toxic liver damage;
- Colorectal cancer;
- Diabetic neuropathy;
- Dysmenorrhea;
- Erectile dysfunction;
- Hypertension;
- Liver cancer;
- Occlusion of the middle cerebral artery;
- Multiple sclerosis;
- Pancreatic cancer;
- Psoriasis;
- Diseases of the respiratory system;
- Wound healing.
Important! For men, saffron will be a panacea during a hangover, since it tends to remove residual alcohol from the body.
Saffron has not only positive qualities. There are a number of contraindications for the use of this plant. The use of the spice is contraindicated for children under twelve years of age. Women who are preparing to become mothers and those who are breastfeeding are prohibited from taking it. In addition, saffron is a toxic plant; more than one gram of it should not be consumed. An increased dose may be fatal and the person will die.
Saffron is a toxic plant
The outlined prospects are not rosy, but, nevertheless, this spice has been used for five thousand years, and it is still popular. Most likely, in the future, saffron will occupy a top position among spices.
Saffron water
Saffron water is used in cosmetology. It has been used by women for many centuries. This substance is used to:
- relieve skin inflammation,
- remove fatty secretions,
- cleanse pores
- moisturize the skin,
- clear the skin of rashes,
- stop itching
- remove acne
- has a tonic effect,
- relieves eye fatigue.
Saffron water
In addition, saffron extract has a rejuvenating effect as it tightens pores and makes the skin elastic. Therefore, it is suitable for making masks. It is especially important to use this tool for people who spend a lot of time at the computer. Using this substance makes the face fresh.
Saffron is rightfully considered the king of spices. It is successfully used in different directions. The only thing that disappoints is the high cost. But, considering the useful qualities and the difficulty with which workers collect each stigma of the flower, the price is completely justified.
The product is the stigmas of the inflorescences of a plant called Crocus sativus. Outwardly, it looks like small strings tangled together; less often the spice is sold in powder form. It has a unique taste, aroma and chemical composition that cannot be compared with any other spice in the world.
Interesting! Saffron can easily be called one of the most ancient products in the world - it is mentioned in Egyptian papyri, the works of Homer and Hippocrates, and even in the Bible along with olives and figs.
Where and how does it grow
In the wild, seed crocus is found in regions with cold winters and hot summers - Iran, India, Afghanistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, but recently it has begun to be cultivated in Spain and France.
Saffron plantation in Spain
It takes root well in lighted places with fertile, well-drained and breathable soil - the flower is a drought-resistant plant, so an excess of moisture is detrimental to it. Under favorable conditions, crocuses bloom in the second year after planting and grow in one place for several years, but the inflorescences become smaller over time and look less aesthetically pleasing.
Photo of the plant
Saffron color
The color of the threads that are used as a spice is a rich reddish-orange or bright orange.
Saffron color is bright red/orange
Crocus flowers
There are about 30 varieties of crocus that bloom in spring or fall, depending on the variety. The flowers look like a glass with six petals of different colors - the most common are white, lilac, yellow, purple and pink petals, a mixture of shades is possible.
When the crocus blooms, it resembles a star or bowl with bright orange pistils in the middle.
Crocus flower
For reference! Crocus flowers have many varieties of different shades - only pure red inflorescences are not found in nature.
Smell and taste
Saffron has an intense, spicy, slightly intoxicating aroma and a specific taste, which experts describe as tart, slightly hot, with a slight hint of sweetness.
Saffron: beneficial properties and contraindications
The product is one of the most useful spices in the world - it contains minerals and vitamins (groups A and B, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, iron, etc.), essential oils, flavonoids, tannins and much more other. Thanks to a unique set of useful substances, the spice has the following effects:
- improves blood circulation, brain activity and memory;
- neutralizes the effect of free radicals, prevents abnormal cell division and prevents cancer;
- normalizes the functions of the kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract and spleen;
- promotes the proper production of hormones in both women and men, treats infertility and sexual disorders;
- eliminates disorders of the nervous system, insomnia and depression;
- has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, reduces blood pressure;
- has an antibacterial effect, fights infectious and respiratory diseases;
- reduces signs of aging, rejuvenates and smoothes the skin.
Interesting! Experts say that saffron can treat 85% of all diseases, and include it in 300 different medicines.
There are no direct contraindications to its use, but it is better for pregnant women, nursing mothers, children and people with chronic diseases to avoid the spice.
How to use
Since saffron is a potent bioactive product, it should be taken with caution. The maximum dose is 0.5 g; in case of an overdose, nausea, insomnia, confusion, skin rashes are possible, and if a very large amount of spice is consumed (more than a gram), it can be fatal. The spice can be added to tea, milk, or an infusion can be made from it - pour 5-10 threads into 0.5 liters of boiling water, heat for 3-5 minutes on the fire, without bringing to a boil, leave until the spice sinks to the bottom. Drink a glass before meals.
Seasoning saffron
The spice is widely used in the cuisines of different nations of the world to prepare a wide variety of dishes. The cost of saffron on the market is extremely high - it ranges from 500 to 30 thousand dollars, depending on the quality and country of origin of the product.
Photo of seasoning
Seasoning photo How and from what they are made
To make saffron, bright orange crocus stamens are collected, but since the plant is quite capricious, this is not easy to do. It blooms for only a few days, and with the onset of night the flowers close, so the raw materials are collected by hand before the first rays of the sun appear. To obtain 1 kg of product, about 200 thousand inflorescences are needed.
Flower picking process
The process of collecting stamens
Important! Kashmiri saffron is considered the most expensive, but the Spanish spice is the most popular - it has the best price-quality ratio.
Application area
The product is used in various fields, mainly in cooking, medicine and cosmetology, also as a dye - it is part of expensive hair dyes and fabric compositions.
Saffron in cooking
Saffron is one of the most popular spices in the world, which is loved by famous chefs, including it in a wide variety of food and drink recipes.
What is it used for?
The spice gives dishes a pleasant golden hue, a spicy aroma and a specific bitter-spicy taste. When using saffron, it is important to observe moderation - 3-5 threads are enough to prepare the perfect dish.
Where do they add
You can add spice to any dish, from soups and sauces to any desserts. Saffron goes especially well with baked goods, salads, rice and meat - it is an essential ingredient in real oriental pilaf. It can be used alone or in combination with basil, thyme, rosemary and cinnamon.
What to replace
It is impossible to find a substitute for real saffron, but Indian turmeric has a similar bitter-pungent taste and also colors dishes in a pleasant golden hue. Its taste and aroma are not so rich, but there are also plenty of beneficial properties.
How to store
To store the product, you need to take an airtight container and place it in a dark place, the temperature no higher than 20 degrees. The shelf life is about two years - the spice cannot be used after it has lost its bright aroma.
Best stored in a glass or ceramic jar For reference! You can distinguish real saffron from fake saffron using a simple test - throw a thread into a glass of water, which should turn orange. If the color of the liquid is yellow, the spice is fake.
In cosmetology
Saffron is an effective remedy for combating signs of aging, eliminating skin and hair problems. For cosmetic purposes, it can be taken orally or used to prepare masks and creams.
Cream
Face cream containing saffron can be purchased in stores offering Indian and Ayurvedic cosmetics, or you can prepare it yourself.
To do this, you need to take a baby cream or any nourishing cream (preferably made from natural ingredients) and add a few drops of saffron oil to it.
This product evens out the complexion, makes it fresh and even, eliminates rashes, fine wrinkles and other problems.
Iranian cream (Safron seed nutrient cream)
Oil
Saffron oil is obtained from the spice threads by steam distillation or extraction using special solvents. It has a rich hue and a very intense spicy aroma; in cosmetology it is used independently or as part of masks and creams.
Can be prepared at home It is quite expensive, so you can prepare an analogue at home - grind a teaspoon of stigmas well, mix with 0.5 cups of olive oil. Leave for 12 hours, store in a dark place.
In medicine
Medicines prepared from saffron have a quick effect and have virtually no contraindications or side effects. When used correctly, they cope well with any disease, increase immunity and improve overall well-being.
Recipes
When using saffron in traditional medicine recipes, it is extremely important to follow the recommended proportions, dosage and administration.
Attention! If, after taking saffron, you experience headache, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, rash and other unpleasant symptoms, use should be stopped immediately - perhaps this is an individual intolerance to the spice.
Tea
Tea with the addition of saffron can be drunk for respiratory diseases, digestive, nervous and cardiovascular disorders, disorders of the genitourinary and immune systems.
Brew two teaspoons of good black tea in 0.5 liters of water, throw 3-5 threads of saffron into a glass, pour tea to the brim, leave for 15 minutes. Drink a glass no more than three times a day.
Improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, strengthens the immune system
Milk with saffron
Saffron gives milk a pleasant golden hue and saturates it with useful substances.
Take 250 ml of milk, ¼ teaspoon of spice (about 5 stigmas), a teaspoon of honey and, if desired, 0.5 teaspoon of butter. Bring the milk to a boil three times, remove from heat, add saffron, honey and butter, mix well. Pour from one cup to another several times to saturate with oxygen; it is best to drink at night.
Calms the nervous system
Cabbage
This is a very tasty and healthy dish of Korean cuisine, which is perfect for dietary nutrition. For the recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- cabbage - 0.5 heads;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- sugar - 2 tbsp;
- vegetable oil - 2 tbsp;
- vinegar - 1 tbsp;
- saffron - 1 tbsp;
- cilantro and coriander - 0.5 tsp each;
- red and black pepper, salt to taste.
Wash the cabbage well, remove the outer damaged leaves, chop coarsely, pour boiling water so that it covers the pieces, leave for 10 minutes and drain the water. Separately, boil a liter of water, dissolve sugar, add saffron, salt and other spices, garlic, vinegar. Peel the onion, cut into small cubes, fry and throw in water with spices, boil a little over low heat. Pour the resulting marinade over the cabbage, cool slightly and refrigerate for a day.
Saffron and turmeric are the same thing
Saffron and turmeric are different spices, each of which has its own characteristics. Turmeric is obtained from the dried roots of the plant of the same name - it is a yellow powder and has a less intense aroma and taste. Unscrupulous manufacturers often pass it off as real saffron, since this spice is much cheaper.
Turmeric on the left, saffron on the right How to grow
Crocus is grown from bulbs, and to get beautiful flowers, you need to choose the right raw material - it must be intact, without rot or damage. It is best to plant the plant in well-lit areas; the key requirement is good soil drainage, otherwise the bulbs will rot. The soil must be fertile and breathable, and before planting it must be dug up and humus or compost added. Depending on the variety, the bulbs are planted in September-October or July, at a depth of about 5-10 cm with an interval of 10 cm.
Caring for the plantings is not too burdensome - they are resistant to droughts and frosts, so they need to be watered moderately, when the soil is very dry, and in severe frosts, cover them with spruce branches. Throughout the season, feed the plants several times with phosphorus and potassium; it is best to do this during the period of bud formation. If everything was done correctly, crocuses will soon delight the owner with beautiful, delicate flowers.
Saffron has long and deservedly been called the “golden” spice, as it is one of the rarest and most expensive spices in the world. Since ancient times, saffron was equal in price to gold, it was presented as a luxurious gift to royalty, tribute was paid with the spice, and clothes dyed with saffron were considered a sign of unprecedented luxury. Modern archaeologists still find paintings made with saffron.
Saffron was glorified in poetry and legends, and even Hippocrates himself noted its beneficial properties. There is a belief that once upon a time there lived a beautiful young man named Saffron, who dared to anger the almighty gods with something, and they turned him into an equally beautiful flower. According to Buddhist legend, saffron was brought to earth from heaven.
Whether this is true or not, saffron is indeed a very beautiful soft lilac flower, from which one of the most expensive spices in the world is made. The flowers themselves are interesting because they do not have a stem, and they grow directly from the bulb. The spice is prepared from the stigmas of a flower, and since the flowering time of this almost unearthly creature is only three days, all the stigmas must be collected at this time. All work is carried out exclusively by hand, the collected flowers are laid out on the table and the stigmas are extracted from them, again by hand. Then the stigmas are dried and the seasoning is ready. In order to get one gram of spice, you need to collect and process about 150 flowers. The work is painstaking and time-consuming, so the price of saffron simply cannot be cheap. Unfortunately, saffron is very often counterfeited; you can buy real spice only in a specialized store and not in powder form, but in the form of fibers.
But there is one consolation - saffron is very economical. Just one gram of spice contains about four hundred flower stigmas, and to prepare one large dish, only 10-15 pieces will be enough. To color two liters of water, only two stigmas are enough.
Saffron in medicine
Since ancient times, saffron has been highly valued in medicine due to its high content of carotene, essential oils and vitamins. Over four thousand years of use, the plant’s effectiveness in treating about 90 different diseases has been discovered.
Plant stigmas are included in medicines against cough and whooping cough, and are used to treat oncology, respiratory system and bladder. Saffron has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole, normalizes the functioning of the immune system, gives vigor and improves the color of the skin.
It is impossible to imagine Tibetan medicine without saffron - the spice is considered the most valuable and indispensable component. Not a single Tibetan incense is made without saffron. The substance serotonin contained in the plant is also called the hormone of joy.
In folk medicine, saffron is used as an analgesic and antipyretic, as well as a diaphoretic and diuretic that improves metabolism.
Saffron in cooking
The spice itself has a strong intoxicating aroma and a bitter-spicy taste with a hint of honey. Saffron does not mix well with other spices, and its price is too high to fill the taste with anything else. You can’t add a lot of it, otherwise the dish will be very bitter, and in large quantities, saffron can become a deadly poison. The norm for saffron consumption is no more than 1 gram per day; exceeding this norm is dangerous to health.
If it seems to you that when added to a dish, the spice did not reveal its aroma enough and you want to add more, stop! The taste of the spice reveals itself after about 12 hours, and ideally within a day. Yes, that is the essence of this exotic princess. If you overdo it even a little with the dosage, any dish will end up with a persistent aroma of pharmaceutical herbs.
To optimize rationing, saffron is dissolved in water or an alcohol-containing mixture - this makes it much easier to measure the required amount of seasoning. A water or alcohol tincture is prepared as follows: 1 gram of flower stigmas or powder is poured with 120 milliliters of warm water or alcohol-containing liquid. After 15-20 minutes, the mixture can be added to dishes. If the saffron was poured with alcohol, the mixture should be further diluted with water.
Saffron is most widely used in the confectionery industry. It is often added to cakes, cookies and various pastries, and creams, jams and mousses receive a unique light aroma and spicy taste. The spice is added to the dough during kneading, and to hot dishes 5 minutes before readiness.
The word saffron itself is translated as “yellow”, so it is often used as a natural food coloring - it gives dishes a delicate golden color. The spice has found active use in the preparation of various alcoholic beverages - as a natural coloring and flavoring agent.
In the East, saffron is an indispensable component for preparing meat dishes, various sauces and gravies. The spice is also added to rice, vegetable stews and dishes made from valuable varieties of fish.
In Europe, saffron is used in almost all haute cuisine - paella, various soups and delicious desserts, seafood delicacies and vegetarian dishes simply cannot do without this king of spices.
And in conclusion, I would like to say that saffron can turn the simplest dish into a culinary masterpiece, but the main rule when using it is moderation and moderation again, otherwise instead of a unique taste you will only get bitterness, both in the literal and figurative sense of the word . Bon appetit!
When we talk about saffron, the East immediately comes to mind with its subtle luxury, abundance of spices and unusual flavors. The seasoning saffron was glorified in poetry and legends; its beneficial properties were noted by Hippocrates. In the East you can hear that once upon a time there lived a beautiful young man, Saffron, who somehow displeased the gods, and they turned him into a beautiful flower.
The spice saffron actually comes from the stigmas of flowers, although we call them crocuses. This product is used not only to give food a special taste, but also as a dye: archaeologists often find drawings made with saffron.
What are the benefits of saffron?
Flower stigmas are one of the most nutrient-rich parts of plants. Saffron is quite high in calories, but given that it is used in very small quantities, this can be neglected. By the way, you should not abuse this spice also because it is quite poisonous: sometimes just half a gram can cause irreparable harm to your health. But we have nothing to fear: the amount we add to food is measured in hundredths of a gram. But they give us a huge amount of essential vitamins and minerals, saturate with flavonoids and antioxidants. Scientists have noticed that people who consume saffron cope better with even the most severe diseases.
Saffron seasoning: where to add?
Crocus pollen, due to its high content of biologically active and coloring substances, is used in many industries - medicine, cosmetology, even industry. But first of all, saffron is a seasoning; its use in cooking is very wide. It will add a rich golden hue and excellent taste to any dish. The most common option is to cook rice with saffron, then this simple grain will sparkle with new colors, so it will be difficult to do without this spice. Golden seasoning also goes well with vegetables, especially beans, zucchini and eggplant. Saffron is used in cooking both for taste and as a dye: it is added to muffins and cookies and fruit creams. Often they even bake bread with it.
In some countries, saffron is so popular that it is added to coffee or tea.
How to use saffron?
Natural saffron is sold in the form of specific veins. You need to choose carefully: dark saffron, dark red or even red-brown has the richest taste. You can often find saffron in the form of a ready-made powder, but it is too easy to fake, so you shouldn’t risk wasting money. As for use, the veins can be immediately added to the dish, but it is better to prepare the seasoning in advance: the veins should be slightly dried in a frying pan without oil, ground into a fine powder and then dissolved in a small amount of water, milk or alcohol. This way the spice will be preserved for a long time and will fully impart its taste to the dish. For baking, saffron is added to the dough at the beginning of kneading, but to hot dishes - no earlier than five minutes before cooking. The dosage of saffron is very small. 
No more than five veins are placed in one serving of a particular dish, and the weight of each of them is so small that it is difficult to imagine: 1/400 g.
The cost of saffron has always been comparable to gold, and even now, when pepper and salt are almost worthless, the golden seasoning is still not very accessible. Therefore, in India they have long found something to replace saffron with. It is now used only on special occasions, and turmeric is used in everyday meals. Its taste is not so bright, it is a little reminiscent of pepper and orange, but turmeric also gives the products an appetizing golden hue. You need to add it a little, at the tip of a knife for one serving.
