What is saffron?
A: Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly
known as the "saffron crocus".
The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads,
are collected and dried for use mainly as what?
A: A seasoning and coloring agent in
food.
Although some doubts remain on its origin, it is
believed that saffron originated in what country?
A: Iran.
Saffron's taste and iodoform-like or hay-like fragrance
result from what?
A: The phytochemicals picrocrocin and safranal.
It also contains a carotenoid pigment, crocin, which
does what?
A: It imparts a rich golden-yellow hue to dishes and textiles.
In the 21st century, Iran produces how much of the
world total for saffron?
A: About 90%.
At US$5,000 per kg or higher, saffron has long been the
world's what?
A: Costliest spice by weight.
The domesticated saffron crocus, Crocus sativus, is an
autumn-flowering perennial plant unknown where?
A: In the wild.
Being sterile, the purple flowers of C. sativus fail to
produce what?
A: Viable seeds.
Reproduction hinges on what?
A: Human assistance: clusters of corms, underground, bulb-like,
starch-storing organs, must be dug up, divided, and replanted.
A corm survives for how long?
A: One season, producing via vegetative division up to ten "cormlets" that
can grow into new plants in the next season.
The plant sprouts 5–11 white and non-photosynthetic
leaves known as what?
A: Cataphylls.
In October, after most other flowering plants have
released their seeds, they do what?
A: They develop brilliantly hued flowers that range from a light pastel
shade of lilac to a darker and more striated mauve.
The flowers possess a sweet, honey-like fragrance what?
A: Fragrance.
Upon flowering, the plants are 20–30 cm (8–12 in) in
height and bear up to how many flowers?
A: Four.
What emerges from each flower?
A: A three-pronged style 25–30 mm (1–1+3⁄16 in) in length.
Each prong terminates with what?
A: A vivid crimson stigma, which are the distal end of a carpel.
The high retail value of saffron is maintained on world
markets because of what?
A: Labor-intensive harvesting methods.
How many hand-picked saffron stigmas are needed to make
one kilogram?
A: About 440,000. (200,000 stigmas/lb.).
How many hours of labor are needed to pick 150,000
flowers?
A: Forty.
One freshly picked crocus flower yields on average how
much fresh saffron?
A: 30 mg or 7 mg dried.
Saffron contains some 28 volatile and aroma-yielding
compounds, dominated by what?
A: Ketones and aldehydes.
Greek saffron produced in the town of Krokos is PDO
protected due to its particularly high-quality what?
A: Color and strong flavor.
In Western countries, the average retail price in 1974
was how much?
A: $2,200/kg ($1,000/lb).
Saffron has a long history of use in traditional what?
A: Medicine.
Saffron has also been used as a what?
A: A fabric dye, particularly in China and India, and in perfumery.
How is Saffron's aroma often described by connoisseurs?
A: As reminiscent of metallic honey with grassy or hay-like notes, while its
taste has also been noted as hay-like and sweet.
One of the most esteemed uses for saffron is in the
preparation of what?
A: The Golden Ham, a precious dry-cured ham made with saffron from San Gimignano.