Said to be “possibly the
first spice ever used by man,” saffron has been identified as a distinct
popularity since the dawn of culinary traditions. Its history spans
throughout the world and into our kitchens, first known to be the herb
of the sun and now used in a variety of ways inside the home and out.
The name evolved from the Middle East, collaborating the words Saharan
and za’faran to make saffron. These tiny ‘thread-like’ filaments a
re
dried stigmas coming from flowering plant, the Crocus. Even before
saffron livened up cuisine, it was known for its incredible dyeing
ability. For a weaver in ancient times, it brought about brilliance to
rugs, togas, saris, shawls, lace, and linen, silk. For the artist, the
vividness of yellow was achieved. For medicinal purposes, it gave hope
to some suffering from smallpox, kidney disease, insomnia, indigestion,
and signified fear for others. Last but not least, for cooks, saffron
allowed the brightness of the sun to be placed on a dining table. One of
the few spices not to have originated in India or the tropics,
saffron’s discovery is one of mystery. Although recorded history started
after the cultivation of saffron, it is known that crocus plants are
native to the Mediterranean and the Balkans. Thus, the early Persian
civilizations spread this “wealth” with surrounding areas such as the
Indus Valley and the western shores of the Mediterranean. In present
day, saffron is growing in popularity in many countries throughout the
world such as Iran. It is used in the most exquisite gourmet cuisine
from the west to the Far East; it’s cultivated in temperate climates and
delivered to a variety of different cultures. One of the most well
known areas where saffron is grown is in Iran. This geographic center
encompasses five provinces that have the ideal climate for saffron to
thrive. It is undoubtedly true that Iran where the summers are
unbearably hot and the winters are uncontrollably frigid. Iran is not
only a great harvesting ground; moreover, the best quality saffron is
produced there.
Saffron is a plant. The dried stigmas (thread-like parts of the flower) are used to make saffron spice. It can take 75,000 saffron blossoms...
There are a few different types of saffron that are commonly available: Persian saffron: This is the most widely recognized type of saffron ...