2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Saffron is considered the most exquisite and expensive spice in the world. The fragrant bright orange supplement costs about $ 1,000 per pound.
There are also cheaper varieties. But keep in mind that too low prices are a sign of forgery. The royal spice is made from the stamens of a cultivated species of crocus.
225,000 stamens are needed to obtain one kilogram. Ancient physicians believed that saffron affected all organs and effectively renewed the blood.
In some Asian countries, saffron is still used in the treatment of liver diseases, gynecological problems, stomach diseases. It is also used as a stimulant and antispasmodic. It is known that the spice has a beneficial effect on the female reproductive system, normalizes metabolism and improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
His name comes from ancient times and is associated with the name of a wonderful young man named Crocus. There are two legends about the appearance of the plant.
According to one, the god Hermes was in love with a young man who killed by a stupid accident. Where his blood flowed, the crocus plant sprouted.
The second legend says that Crocus was in love with a nymph with whom they were inseparable. Hermes turned the nymph into a bush and the young man into a beautiful plant, which they later called saffron.
In the Middle East, saffron has long been known. Egyptian medical texts mention 1500 years before the New Age. But there are sources that the plant was known to Sumerian civilization.
The Babylonians and Assyrians used saffron as a remedy. In Chinese medical books there are texts about the healing properties of saffron dating back to 2600 BC. Saffron was believed to give energy and stimulate love abilities.
The Romans valued the plant as a cure for cataracts. The rich Romans used saffron to flavor public halls and baths.
In the Middle Ages, saffron began to be used again and described in cookbooks as a spice, and in medicine - as a medicine.
Now the cheapest Iranian saffron costs 460-470 USD per 1 kg. Greek saffron is about 770-790 dollars. The most expensive is the Spanish saffron - 900-950 dollars per kg.
Keep in mind that saffron is a strong spice and you must be careful when dosing. An overdose can make dishes bitter.
In hot dishes, saffron is added 5 minutes before the end of cooking, and in the dough - when kneading.
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