Herbs & Spices: Saffron

Saffron (Zafferano)

The Herb
The word Saffron is derived from the Arabic word Za 'faraan, meaning "yellow." While the flowers of the plant are brilliant purple in color, it is the deep orangey-yellow hue of their stamens for which Saffron is known and from which the spice itself arises. Believed to have originated in the eastern Mediterranean—most probably around Greece, Asia Minor and Persia—Saffron was first brought from Asia to Europe by Crusaders in the 13th century. Since then, it has been cultivated and revered in areas of the world such as Spain, India, Turkey, China, and Iran. With Saffron's arrival in Italy around the year 1400, the village of San Quirico d'Orcia (located in the province of Siena, Tuscany) grew to become one of the country's most productive Saffron cultivators. The most expensive spice on Earth, Saffron's remarkable coloring properties are as prized as its unique, bitter-honey taste. Used as both a dye and a condiment, the plant's strands must be hand-picked from the flowers, taking more than 75,000 hand-picked blossoms (each with 3 strands) to make a pound of the spice. The strands are subsequently often crushed to a fine powder with a mortar or pestle.

In the Kitchen
Due to its expense, intense flavor, and strong dying properties, very little Saffron is required for culinary purposes. The key is an even distribution of the spice throughout the dish being prepared. Saffron's pungent, earthy aroma lends itself well to a variety of foods, from pasta or rice to meat or fish, and from sauces to desserts. Italian dishes primarily include the spice in risottos, fish soups, and savory stews. The flavor of Saffron is best preserved when added at the end of the cooking process. Saffron threads should steep in a small amount of warm water or broth for about 15 minutes before being added to a dish. The spice can be stored for up to one year in an air-tight container when placed in a cool, dark, and dry location. As light quickens Saffron's expiration, take care that the container is not see-through or transparent.

Tips
Good Saffron (strands) should expand on contact with water, and 1 cup of liquid should be sufficient for 0.5 kg (1 lb) of rice. Powdered Saffron should be added directly to the required ingredients of a dish. However, buying Saffron pre-powdered can be risky, as it is so frequently adulterated. Any Saffron bearing white streaks or light patches is inferior in quality; and, when lighter specks appear in the powdered form it is indicative of adulteration.

Healing Properties
Saffron has been used to reduce fevers, cramps, and enlarged livers. When applied topically, it calms bruises, rheumatism, and neuralgia. The spice has also been recognized for its value as an antispasmodic and soothing relaxant, lowering blood pressure and stimulating respiration. In fact, some go so far as to consider Saffron an aphrodisiac, and highlight it as an essential ingredient for any romantic dinner. (N.B. The use of Saffron should be moderate and reasonable; large doses have been medically determined to have fatal results.)

Superstition
Saffron has an extensive history of spiritual and magical use. Some of the "magical powers" associated with it include happiness, healing, love, lust, psychic powers, and strength. A sacred flower in ancient Crete, it became a symbol of the sun, and was used to dye foods yellow as part of solar worship. In Greek mythology, Saffron was created when a mortal named Crocos fell in love with the nymph Smilax. When Smilax rebuffed his advances, Crocos turned into the ravishing purple-petaled, red-stamened flower, Crocus sativus.