Saffron is a spice that comes from the flower of the Crocus sativus. You can use both the styles and the dried stigmas from the flower in cooking as a seasoning and as food coloring. According to the "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine," the word "saffron" derives from the Arab word "zafaran," which means yellow. Saffron tastes like bitter honey.
Composition
Each flower of the saffron crocus has three stigmas. According to the "Encyclopedia of Natural Mediince," it takes approximately 75,000 flowers to produce 1 lb. of saffron filaments. It is, therefore, extremely expensive to produce saffron. Saffron has a bitter taste and hay-like fragrance that result from the chemicals piocrocrocin and safranal. Crocin is the carotenoid dye that gives saffron its golden-yellow hue and also offers the essential oils responsible for the therapeutic properties of saffron. Further, most of saffron's nonvolatile compounds are carotenoids.
Medicinal Use
Saffron contains carminative, which prevents or relieves flatulence, and emmenagogic, which stimulates pelvic blood flow. According to "Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: The Definitive Home Reference Guide to 550 Key Herbs With All Their Uses as Remedies for Common Ailments," in Iran, doctors have used saffron to treat respiratory infections and disorders such as coughs, smallpox, cancer and asthma. Additionally, Iranian doctors have used saffron to treat blood disorders, paralysis, insomnia, heart disease, gout, stomach upsets, chronic uterine hemorrhage, amenorrhea, dysmorrhea, baby colic and eye disorders. In Persia, herbalists used saffron as an aphrodisiac. Clinical scientific evidence, however, does not support these purported uses of saffron.
Culinary Use
Because of its flavor and aroma, you can use saffron in soups, meat dishes, curries, cheeses, baked goods and confections. In Spain, India and Iran, rice dishes use saffron as a condiment. Additionally, saffron is an essential ingredient in the French bouillabaisse, Italian risotto and Swedish lussebulle, a variety of the saffron bun. In Iran, saffron is an ingredient in the national dish chelow kabab, and in Morocco tajine-prepared dishes such as kefta, mqualli and mrouzia use saffron. Further, you will find saffron in spicy rice-vegetables dishes such as biryanis.
Coloring Agent
In China and India, textile makers use saffron as a fabric dye, but the strong yellow-orange hue will rapidly fade into a pale-creamy yellow. Additionally, using too much of a saffron dye will turn the fabric into a shade of red. Despite the fading problems associated with using saffron as a fabric dyes, textile manufacturers continue to produce fabrics that utilize saffron dyes
References
- MayoClinic.com; Natural Remedies for Depression: Are They Effective?; Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D; May 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Slide Show: Your Guide to Spices; Mayo Clinic Staff; January 2011
- Iran Diet Fruit Exporter: Saffron
- "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine"; Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno; 1997
- "Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: The Definitive Home Reference Guide to 550 Key Herbs With All Their Uses as Remedies for Common Ailments"; Andrew Chevallier; 2000
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