Saffron, botanical name crocus sativus, is unquestionably known as the most expensive spice in the world. The reason is simple. There are only 3 stigmas in each crocus flower, which are picked laboriously by hand every October during harvest season. It takes over 200 flowers just to obtain 1 gram of saffron. Do the math and you can see that it takes anywhere from 90,000 to 100,000 flowers just to make one pound! Have I caught your attention yet? Read below and learn more about this historical, mysterious, and unique spice.
Records detail the use of saffron back to ancient Egypt where it was used as a dye for clothing and as a drug for sickness, as well as for culinary purposes. The Greeks also used saffron as a cosmetic base for their beautiful women. It is even said that Romans drank an elixir of saffron during their orgies so they could devote themselves with more energy to Venus, the goddess of love. However, the best-known Greek legend about saffron is the story detailing the tragedy of Crocus and Smilax. The story describes a handsome youth named Crocus who decided to pursue the beautiful Smilax in the woods near Athens. Although honored by his advances and enjoying time spent together, she is soon bored by Crocus’ attentions. Against her wishes he continues to pursue persistently causing her to resort to bewitching him. This is how Crocus turned into the saffron crocus flower. The story explains that the radiant orange stigmas in the flower represent Crocus’ undying and passionate love for Smilax. Whether or not some of these tales are true, one can see that saffron was a prized and valuable product with a price that could sometimes be higher than that of gold. It reached China in the 7th century and spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. In terms of reaching Spain, it was the Arabs who introduced it allowing Spaniards today to grow almost 70% of the world’s production.
Although saffron can be found in countries like Egypt, Kashmir, Morocco and Turkey, most is now imported from Iran and Spain which are recognized as producing the best quality. In Spain, the best comes from La Mancha (the Castilian plateau) in the center of the country from Toledo to Albacete. The harvest period only lasts about 9-10 days so once a week in October the area is in a complete frenzy trying to pick the flowers and then pick the stigmas from the flowers in a small amount of time so the valuable saffron threads don’t lose their flavor and aroma. Once the stigmas are picked they are then laid on large sieves so they can be roasted. The roasting technique stops the saffron from perishing so that it may be sold and used as a spice.
In terms of purchasing saffron, you might be wondering how expensive this spice can be. The market price here in the United States is currently anywhere from $10 to $15 per gram. Fortunately, only a little needs to be added to a dish to lend its color and aroma; too much of it can make the food bitter (more on that later). Today, it is widely sold in two forms, powder and threads, and each behave very differently in the kitchen. In order to release the flavor, color, and aroma of saffron, you must steep the threads. However, powdered saffron can be used more simply as it does not need to be steeped. The downside is that when crushed to a powder you never know the quality of saffron you are purchasing. My suggestion is to always purchase the threads and simply steep them before using. If you do purchase it, treat it like a good extra virgin olive oil and store it in a dry place away from light. It can be kept for a long time but it is best to use within 2-3 years.
Nowadays it is mainly used in two dishes: Italian risotto Milanese which is an Italian rice dish flavored and colored with saffron threads. The other and more widely known is the Spanish paella, which is a saffron infused rice dish that can contain any combination of chorizo, chicken, pork, vegetables, or seafood. If you plan to purchase saffron and use in a dish please be cautious in its application. Although it develops its taste only in hot dishes, adding saffron directly to a hot liquid destroys its flavor. The key is to crush the stems with your finger and thumb into a small bowl (a mortar and pestle can also be used). You can then add some cold or room temperature water or stock to steep. It only takes maybe 5-10 minutes before you start to see the color of saffron infusing into the liquid. You can then add it to your dish in the proper amount which is generally about 1 gram for a very large paella or two smaller paellas (anywhere from 15-20 servings). Just remember that when cooking with saffron a little goes a long away!
As a youngster I always remembered my second family, the Guerrero’s, bringing back saffron from their homeland of Spain. It was always treated like gold! Today as a chef, I still treat it this way. But, what is most attractive about the spice is its undeniable rich history. For 3, 500 years, saffron has spread throughout so many different cultures, continents and civilizations. The spice and its trade have become embedded in so many beautiful stories and tales translating different eras of time. As a result, we simultaneously learn more about cooking and history in a fun and practical way. This is why I love food!
