Spanish Pure Saffron Medium Tin

Saffron is called in the Latin Crocus sativus and is also known as yellow wort. Saffron belongs to the iris family and comes from the Middle East. The crocus species grows to a height of approx. 30 cm and forms wonderfully light blue to violet flowers, from which scars this very expensive spice is obtained by hand. Each flower contains only 3 stamp threads. During drying it loses about 40% of its weight.

Nowadays it is also being used in the Mediterranean countries and East Asia, probably the best saffron still comes from Persia (Iran), Spain, France, and Greece are producing more and more. 

 Saffron threads

The flowering time in autumn is only about 2 weeks, in which the flower scars have to be plucked out. The yield is extremely low, which justifies the high price of saffron. A trained picker reaps about 60-80g a day. For 1 kilo of this precious spice, about 150,000 flowers are needed on a cultivated area of 2000 square meters.

 Already 1,000 years ago saffron was three times more expensive than pepper, today it is a multiple of it. The science argues a bit about the exact origin, but it likely comes from the Middle East. From there it also has its name, which was derived from "za'fran".

 Aroma & taste of saffron

Saffron is slightly tart in the taste, very aromatic and slightly bittersweet to spicy nuances and is known for its color.

Use

Saffron you get occasionally ground, but mostly in threads. The threads should first be soaked in warm water or butter for about 10 minutes. But it is also crushed in a mortar to a powder, but the former method is known. So it is often used for the following dishes: light sauces, bouillons, Mediterranean rice dishes (eg Spanish paella), pilafs, lamb, poultry, fish, bouillabaisse, Spanish zarzuela, pudding, semolina pudding, stewing and yeast dough, cookies.

 Storage

Store it in a dark, cool and dry, saffron is quite sensitive to light.

Application in medicine

It is known for the following areas of action: antibacterial, anticancerogenic, antiviral, aphrodisiac, stimulating the mind, cardiovascular, liver-strengthening, mood-enhancing, digestive and cycle-stimulating.

Saffron in the kitchen

Saffron is used as a pure spice in two different forms. On the one hand, the pure dried stamp threads can be used, on the other hand, this spice can be used in powder form. Regardless of which of the two variants is to be cooked, when dealing with saffron caution is required in any case. On the one hand, it should, of course, be borne in mind that saffron was also used for dyeing silk and can cause stains that are difficult, but mostly impossible to remove. This is true not only for clothing but also for non-sealed worktops, for boards and the like. Even in the hands, saffron is difficult to remove and not with a single wash.

 But even when seasoning or refining the food with saffron absolute caution and tact should prevail. Saffron is not only one of the most expensive but also one of the most intense spices. If you cook with saffron for the first time and use the dried threads for this, you should only add one or two threads depending on the dish. Since the taste of the dish is extremely intensified, everyone should first try out how intense he/she wants the food. Even the scent, which is disseminated during seasoning, suggests an intense taste experience of a very special kind.

 It takes over 200.000 flower heads to produce half a pound of this spice. Spanish Saffron is the finest spice in the world. Hand harvested from the Crocus Sativus flower, this is the absolutely indispensable ingredient in Spanish and Italian cooking. The climate and atmosphere temperatures of the region offers the optimum conditions for the saffron to grow making it unbeatable in aroma, color and taste. With over 1000 years of experience, Spain offers you one of its treasures.

Suggestion: Enjoy this precious spice on Italian risotto rice as well as on the famous Spanish Paella recipe. We recommend 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of saffron threads be added to a recipe that serves 6-8 people. You may add the saffron directly to the dish, or infuse it in warm liquid to release its flavor.

1/2 ounce (14 gram)

Ingredients: 100% pure Spanish saffron

Packaging: Tin Can

Product of Spain