Saffron

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Saffron SS

�1.89

From the species of the purple crocus, it takes 100 flowers to make 1g of saffron making it one of the most expensive and popular spices. Use it in Spanish, Indian & Italian dishes, risotto, bouillabaisse and to make Cornish and Dutch breads. Also gives a mild yellow colouring to dishes.

Saffron
(Fr. safran) Saffron comes from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus. Each flower bears only three threadlike stigmas, and each must be picked by hand. It takes about 250,000 flowers to produce one pound of saffron, making it the most expensive spice in the world. Beware of bargains; there is no such thing as cheap saffron. Luckily, a tiny pinch is enough to color and flavor a large quantity of food.

Good saffron should he a brilliant orange color, not yellow, with a strong aroma and a bitter, honey like taste. Saffron produces a yellow dye that diffuses through any warm liquid. Valencia or Spanish saffron is considered the finest. It is commonly used with fish and shellfish (a necessity for bouillabaisse) and rice dishes such as paella and risotto.

When using saffron threads, first crush them gently, then soak them in some hot liquid from the recipe. Powdered saffron is less expensive but more easily adulterated. It may be added directly to the other ingredients when cooking.