Red saffron, the world’s most expensive spice, is harvested from the crocus plant and is used in cooking, medicine, dyes, paints, and perfumes. The threads are hand-picked from the flowers, and it takes nearly an acre of land to produce 5 pounds of saffron. It is known for its sweet taste and scent and is popular in rice, stew, and seafood dishes. It has been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes but can be deadly in large quantities.
Red saffron is harvested from the crocus plant which mainly grows between the Mediterranean region and India. It is considered the most expensive spice in the world. With a uniquely sweet taste, red saffron is mostly used in cooking, although it is well known for its medicinal purposes. It is also used for its color in dyes and paints and for its scent in perfumes.
The crocus plant produces small light purple flowers in the fall. Inside each flower are two to three threads of red saffron; while many flowers have these threads, known as stigmas, this specific crocus plant is the only one that produces saffron. The threads are hand-picked over a three-week period in the fall after the plant’s flowers have bloomed.
Most of the world’s supply of red saffron comes from crocuses grown in Spain and Iran. Other countries, such as India, Greece, Italy and Morocco also produce a fair amount of this rare spice. Each country tends to grow one or more different varieties, with slight variations in flavour, smell and colour. While all saffron is red in color, true red saffron has the yellow tip of each individual stigma. Saffron with a deep red color and only a small trace of yellow tips remaining is considered the highest quality available. Once collected, the threads are dried and packaged.
Since each crocus flower has only two or three strands of saffron inside, it takes nearly an acre of land to produce 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms) of red saffron. This, combined with the need for manual harvesting, makes this spice the most expensive by weight in the world. Saffron is so strong in flavor and color, however, very little is needed when cooking; typically just one or two strands for a dish that serves four.
Red saffron is known for its honey-like taste and a smell that many compare to sweet hay. When added to recipes, it produces a deep yellow color and distinct flavor; it is popular in rice, stew and seafood dishes. Since saffron is dried, it has to be added to some sort of hot liquid for its true flavor and color to shine through.
Saffron has been used for thousands of years in other capacities. In ancient Egypt, for example, red saffron was believed to be an aphrodisiac. It is also known as a fever reducer and for its ability to treat anxiety as well as menstrual cramps and liver or joint problems. Despite these uses, large quantities of saffron can still be deadly. Because of saffron’s unique color, it was often the main ingredient in some dyes and paints in ancient times. While it’s still used as such in some areas today, it’s most popular, outside of cooking, is as an ingredient in colognes and perfumes, typically as a top note.
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