Saffron

I fumbled into my back to find the key to the door and I came across everything in my little too big a bag. The hurry was all about just a little thing lying in the pantry rich and costly infact costliest of the spices - yup ofcourse Saffron. This afternoon I was at the Harvard Coop traversing through some books and I came across this article about Saffron sooner it told me Saffrons smelled Hay like and that was the reason I had to hurry back home to find whether they smelled like Hay...



Names: Telugu - Kunkumapuva, Tamil - Kungumapu, Hindi - Kesar, and English - Saffron.

Culinary Uses: Saffrons are used both in dishes that are sweet as well as spicy. Saffrons are mostly used in spicy dishes like rice pots, meat and soup. It not only adds color to the dish but turns the dish aromatic and exotic too. To speak about Saffrons culinary usage read the Bible to find that it has been used even before the bibilical age.



Storage: Saffrons are stored in dark cool places in airtight containers. Most of the shops sell them in cases to prevent from cramping and breaking. They cannot withstand too much light and hence for further protection they are wrapped in aluminium foils. It would be difficult to find Saffrons on shelf, for they are pricy they could found at the cashiers desk for the fear of theft. Saffrons last for about 6 to 12 months depending on their quality. They loose their flavor as they age.

Medical Values: Saffrons are used to reduce fever, cold and even soar throat. Acts as a aid in treating heart disease, cramps, cholestrol, enlarged liver, arthritis, cures fertility problems, reduces mental distress, stomach and digestive problems - gastrointestinal, colon defects and acidity and even for diabetic treatment. External uses - bruises, acne and skin problems, rheumatism, and neuralgia. It soothes joint pains and regulates menustral cycle. Saffron has earned a vital place in cosmetic world, they are used for making face creams, perfumes and also in dying industry. Its believed that Cleopatra used Saffron to enrich her skin and also as a perfume. In India expecting mothers are advised to consume warm milk with a few strand of Saffron, it is said babies are born fair as a result of Saffron consumption. It has a prominent place in aiding to reduce headaches, increase vitality and also as an anti depressant. It is also used in the treatment of measels and jaundice. Demonstrations proove that there are anticancer and antitumor activities in Saffron extracts.

Forms: Saffrons come in strands/red threads or powder. It is best to purchase the stigmas rather than the powder for 2 reasons. One they will loose their flavor when ground and two when powdered they can be adulterated. Saffrons are tender and they could be crushed and used if the recipe requires powder form or they can be toasted and ground.

How its made: The Crocus plants yeild purple flowers, each flower contains 3 crimson red stigmas. The Crocus plants grow well in mild climates they can withstand snow and cold temperatures to some extent. If they are grown in hot climates they need to be irrigated constantly. The plant yeilds best of the flowers during October. The flowers are hand picked, the stigmas are separated from the flowers and dried and fermented to get crimson red color. The process of making saffrons are labour intensive and thus making the spice costlier than any other spice, they are worth the weight. As the Saffrons are highly priced they amount of usage in culinary world is limited and many ppl soak the thin red threads in hot water to use in the dishes whiles the strands are strained and reused, which does not yield much of flavor or color.

Best and Easy Consumption: Saffrons are mixed with warm whole milk with a sprinkle of sugar. For butter lovers they can mix 2 strands of Saffrons with a table spoon of butter and consume.

Dangers of Saffron Consumption: Too much of Saffron causes deathly narcotic effects and they prove to be sedative. They may also induce abortive effects. Overdose may lead to vomiting, nose bleeding, confusions, jaundice, worsen asthma, mood fluctuations, excessive spending, rapid speaking and utrine bleeding. There are traces of allergic symptom found in some people. When tested on animals they show low biochemical reactions.