Have You Tried: Saffron?
It’s hard to believe that a tiny part of a flower can also be a highly prized spice. Have you ever tasted the most expensive spice in the world?
What Is Saffron?
The delicate threads of saffron are actually the stigma of the purple crocus. Each flower gives only three strands that must be hand-picked. An acre of crocus flowers will yield 5 to 7 pounds of saffron, which is why the price tag for one ounce (approximately 13,000 threads) can easily approach $500.00! You may be able to find ground powdered saffron for less money but it’s not nearly as flavorful and loses its “umph” quickly.
Thankfully a little goes a long way. Trying to figure on how much to buy? The spice gurus at Penzey’s give these helpful conversions: 1 gram = 2 teaspoons whole, 1 teaspoon crumbled or ½ teaspoon powdered.
Once you bring some home, store in a cool, dark place for up to six months.
Healthy Attributes
Known for its spicy-sweet and somewhat floral flavor, saffron also imparts a distinct burnt orange hue when cooked. Across many cultures it’s an integral ingredient in bouillabaisse, paella and rice dishes like risotto.
Once used for medicinal purposes for treatment of digestive issues, nowadays we focus on the benefits of its carotenoid content (those health protecting red and orange antioxidants).
Click Here for 5 Ways to Love Saffron
More from Food Network:
What Is Saffron?
The delicate threads of saffron are actually the stigma of the purple crocus. Each flower gives only three strands that must be hand-picked. An acre of crocus flowers will yield 5 to 7 pounds of saffron, which is why the price tag for one ounce (approximately 13,000 threads) can easily approach $500.00! You may be able to find ground powdered saffron for less money but it’s not nearly as flavorful and loses its “umph” quickly.
Thankfully a little goes a long way. Trying to figure on how much to buy? The spice gurus at Penzey’s give these helpful conversions: 1 gram = 2 teaspoons whole, 1 teaspoon crumbled or ½ teaspoon powdered.
Once you bring some home, store in a cool, dark place for up to six months.
Healthy Attributes
Known for its spicy-sweet and somewhat floral flavor, saffron also imparts a distinct burnt orange hue when cooked. Across many cultures it’s an integral ingredient in bouillabaisse, paella and rice dishes like risotto.
Once used for medicinal purposes for treatment of digestive issues, nowadays we focus on the benefits of its carotenoid content (those health protecting red and orange antioxidants).
Click Here for 5 Ways to Love Saffron
More from Food Network:
- Katie’s Healthy Bites: Savory Saffron
- Have You Tried: Artichoke Hearts?
- Have You Tried . . . Sriracha?
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Comments
It's also used in aravedic medicine and beauty products. - 8/27/2012 4:22:27 PM
Did anyone else try clicking that? Did you get through? - 8/17/2012 11:06:27 AM
- 5/3/2012 9:39:08 PM
And noooooo.... turmeric is not "just the same as" saffron. It does give a similar yellowish color, but it's easy to get too much turmeric and then the food has more of a day-glo neon-ish yellow greenish tone. It tastes nothing like saffron. But... turmeric does have it's own antioxidant properties and hopefully will be the topic of a different "Have you tried....." article!! - 5/2/2012 6:28:24 PM
To PICKIE98, the Spanish may love to sell and use saffron, but most of it is grown in the arid plains of Iran and even mountains of Afghanistan. I would suggest you try it again with smaller amounts and not from Spain where it's known to be contaminated from mold because it the style (white part) is not properly removed so that it can bulk up the weight for sale. Once moldy, it will taste awful, especially if you are prone to mold allergies.
We buy it with the redness coloration factor/intensity marked on the package. We also buy it powdered for ease of use and have never noticed any loss of flavor from the beginning of a half-ounce to the end, keeping it an air-tight container in the dark. I think taking pinches of threads out would more likely contaminate a container with damp fingers. - 5/2/2012 3:19:01 PM
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