 Saffron
is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus (Crocus
sativus), a species of crocus in the family Iridaceae. The flower has
three stigmas, which are the distal ends of the plant's carpels.
Together with its style, the stalk connecting the stigmas to the rest of
the plant, these components are often dried and used in cooking as a
seasoning and coloring agent. Saffron, which has for decades been the
world's most expensive spice by weight, is native to Southwest Asia. It
was first cultivated in the vicinity of Greece.
Saffron is characterized by a bitter taste and an iodoform- or hay-like
fragrance; these are caused by the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal.
It also contains a carotenoid dye, crocin, that gives food a rich
golden-yellow hue. These traits make saffron a much-sought ingredient in
many foods worldwide. Saffron also has medicinal applications.
The word saffron originated from the 12th-century Old French term
safran, which derives from the Latin word safranum. Safranum is also
related to the Italian zafferano and Spanish azafrán. Safranum comes
from the Arabic word (زَعْفَرَان), the name of the spice in Arabic. |
|
