Saffron Spice is from what flower?
It is a million-dollar question to lots of people like us.
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Saffron, Where does it come from?
It comes from Crocus sativa, which has thread-like red stigmas. These add a lovely taste and smell to your dish.
Along with the yellow-red hue, they add a rich taste and flavour to your food.
There are many stories about Its origin, but it is still debated.
Some say it came from Iran, while others say it is from Spain.
But the truth is that it is from Greece.
Some stories suggest that Arhat Buddhist monk Madhyântika (or Majjhantika) was sent to Kashmir in the 5th century BC.
He planted the first Kashmiri spice supplementation crop in India.
From then onwards, It spread throughout the country.
Some people say that Sufi saints brought spice to India. Others believe that it's an ancient spice.
Known as Crocus Sativus, it is the hand-picked spice of the world.
The spice comes from a purple flower and has a crimson-red coloured stigma.
Its aroma and taste make your food orange-red, and you can soften the colour by using milk.
Saffron, the world's most expensive spice, is derived from the Crocus sativus flower, often called the "saffron crocus."
Here's a bit more about this fascinating spice:
- It's all about the stigma: Saffron isn't a petal or a leaf. It's actually the dried, thread-like stigmas (the female part of the flower) of the saffron crocus. Each flower only has three stigmas, which need to be carefully hand-picked and dried.
- Labour intensive: This labour-intensive process is one of the reasons saffron is so pricey. Imagine harvesting thousands of delicate flowers to get just a tiny amount of spice!
- Unique flavour and colour: Saffron has a distinct, slightly bitter taste and imparts a vibrant yellow-orange hue to dishes. It's used in various cuisines worldwide, from paella in Spain to biryani in India.