A Study in Saffron

Beautiful Saffron Threads

Saffron has been a part of my life since earliest times. I cannot think of my paternal grandmother without it being linked with the memory of her soup, simmering away on the stove, redolent with the scent of the saffron she used for color and flavor. The whole house smelled of saffron. Grandma was a good cook and a fabulous baker. To single out her soup alone would be to short change her on so many levels, but her use of saffron began, for me, a lifelong love affair.

Quality Saffron Threads

That smell stays with me, and to this day, nearing age 68, when I smell saffron I am right back there at Grandma's house, anticipating all sorts of goodies. It is the smell of welcome, of home, warmth and love. It smells heavenly and it tastes equally as good. To me, at least. 

I know not everyone finds saffron to be all these things. There are people who have stated that it smells awful, or that "too much" in a dish ruins it. As expensive as saffron is, this makes me wonder about what constitutes "too much?" But not everyone has the same taste or preferences, and most certainly, not everyone grew up with the redolence of saffron wafting through the air at Grandma's house. And, some things are learned at the cradle, as it was for me. And some people are born with an overabundance of taste buds, making all flavors more pronounced. One of my daughters is this way. She could detect the small pinch of saffron I used to make my bread an appealing color. Mind you, the recipe makes 3 goodly-sized loaves, so that little pinch went a very long way.

What then is saffron and why is it so expensive?

Five Saffron Stigma in a tablespoon of water

Saffron comes from the autumn crocus, Crocus sativus, grown mainly in lands with a long hot summer. It grows from Spain to India, two of the main countries that export this spice. Some of the best saffron in the world comes from Iran and India, but is also found in Egypt, Morocco, and Turkey, among others. From 70,000 to 250,000 flowers are needed to make one pound of saffron. The process of picking the 3 tiny stigma of each flower is very labor intensive, making it the costliest spice in the world. A very small amount will produce the most brilliant golden color. It has a penetrating and highly aromatic taste and the smell has been described as metallic honey, grass or hay. Here, using 5 tiny ½-inch long (once hydrated) stigma gives this beautiful color to a tablespoon of water.

Low quality Saffron -
too many yellow stamens included

Probably first cultivated in Asia Minor, saffron was used by all the ancient civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean, the Egyptians and the Romans. Later it was grown in Spain, possibly taken there by Arabs. In the 11th century it reached France, Germany and England. During this time, saffron had great commercial value. Avoid powdered saffron as it is easily adulterated with paprika, turmeric, beets or pomegranate fibers, and even with the tasteless, odorless stamens of the saffron crocus itself. The highest quality saffron is recognized as the deepest in color. Too many yellow stigmas in the mix make it an inferior quality.

The flowers are picked once the petals open, late in autumn. The red stigmas are removed and set to dry. If you look very closely, it is possible to see that the little stigma are tube shaped, with the ends flaring out like tiny trumpets. The yellow stamens should be discarded as they have no flavor and very little ability to add color. Finding too many of the yellow stamens in your saffron means less care usid in picking the stigma, less flavor and color; inferior quality.

Saffron Flower courtesy of Wikipedia

Saffron is easy to use as its strong yellow dye is water soluble. Simply heat a small amount of the liquid to be used in your recipe (water, milk, juice, broth) and allow a few of the threads to steep. Press on the threads with the back of a spoon to release more color. The liquid is then used for whichever recipe you are making, and the threads may be discarded if desired, or just added into the recipe. Alternately, just take a pinch of the dry saffron threads and rub between palms to crush, then add into your dish. I generally make my rice this way, adding that tiny pinch and allowing it to do its magic while the rice cooks. Another use for saffron is in breads and buns, giving them a lovely golden color. Use saffron in soups where color and aroma are desired. It is a key ingredient in Spain’s paella, and also used in France’s bouillabaisse and in risottos of Italy. Saffron is excellent with fish dishes. Dissolve saffron in some of the lemon or lime juice to be used in making aioli, for a beautiful color. Saffron is a very common ingredient in the regional dishes where it is grown. Dishes from Iran, Morocco and Spain call for saffron because it is readily available, as well as in India where many curries benefit by the inclusion of saffron. Obviously, it can also be used as a dye, with its strong yellow gold color, and is an ingredient in some liqueurs, such as chartreuse. Use your imagination and be creative with its use. The smallest pinch is all that is needed.

Safflower petals (bastard saffron) courtesy of Wikipedia

Common saffron substitutes are annatto, safflower or turmeric, though the flavors are far different. In particular, safflower may look like saffron to those unfamiliar with saffron. It is sold as "saffron," "Mexican Saffron," Turkish Saffron," and possibly other names as well. In truth, it bears little resemblance to true saffron, and most certainly does not have either the coloring power nor the remarkable flavor that true saffron imparts. The part of the safflower that is used to imitate saffron is the petals of the flower, which are long and thin. When dried they might be mistaken for saffron. Understanding that saffron in a tubular shaped stigma whereas safflower is the petals of the flower may help in distinguishing one from the other.  


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.