What is Saffron?
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the “saffron crocus”. The vivid crimson stigmas and styles, called threads, are collected and dried to be used mainly as a seasoning and coloring agent in food. At a price of $2000 to $10000 a pound, saffron is far and away the most expensive food on earth, way more than truffles, caviar, or real balsamic vinegar. It takes 75,000 blossoms or 225,000 hand-picked stigmas to make a single pound which explains why it is the world’s most expensive spice.
Saffron is the three stigmas of the saffron crocus. They are delicate and thread-like, each measuring 2.5 – 4 cm (1 -1.5 in). Its color is a bright orange-red, and in high-quality saffron this is uniform. Saffron threads bearing white streaks or light patches is inferior. When light specks appear in its powdered form it suggests adulteration.
Saffron is used in many dishes. With chicken soup, fish stew, Paella and other rice dishes, risotto, and saffron bread probably being the most common.
Health Benefits of Saffron
Saffron contains plant-derived compounds known to have anti-oxidant, disease-preventing and health-promoting properties. Saffron threads have essential volatile oils but the most important is safranal, which gives saffron its distinct hay-like flavor. Other saffron oils include cineole, phenethenol, pinene, borneol, geraniol, limonene, p-cymene, linalool, terpinen-4-oil. It also contains other carotenoids including zeaxanthin, lycopene, α- and β-carotenes. These are important antioxidants that helps protect body from oxidant-induced stress, cancers, infections and acts as immune modulators. The active components have many therapeutic applications in many traditional medicines as antiseptic, antidepressant, anti-oxidant, digestive, anti-convulsant.
Saffron is also a good source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, selenium, zinc and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese and copper are used by the body as co-factors for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is essential for red blood cell production. As far back as the writings of Galen and Hippocrates, saffron was mentioned as a medical treatment for coughs, colds, stomach ailments, insomnia, uterine bleeding, scarlet fever, heart trouble, and flatulence.
About Movalyfe Saffron
Before there was Rice-A-Roni there was Shireeah. A delicious and budget-friendly dish made with chicken, rice, pasta, garbanzo beans, and saffron. When my saffron arrived I made this family favorite Syrian rice dish. I found that it was lacking the last few times I had made it as there wasn’t any good saffron available at any of our local markets. What a difference quality saffron makes!
Just look at how beautiful my dish came out!
And how it looked when I posted how to cook Garbanzo Beans and the recipe to make Shireeah with my old saffron.
WOW!
No dish is really complete without the elegance and aroma that saffron brings to it.