Saffron (Crocus sativus), a spice derived from the stigma of the saffron crocus flower, has been prized by various cultures since antiquity for its colour, flavour and medicinal qualities. A native of Persia with a history of cultivation and use spanning over 3,000 years, it has the distinction of being one of the world’s costliestspices by weight. The name derives from Latin safranum, which in turn comes from the Persian word zafaran, meaning “yellow”. It is knownaskesarinHindi and kunkumapoo in Tamil and Malayalam.
Saffron finds mention in classical Greek and Roman literature and in Shakespeare’s writings. Greek physicians Galen and Hippocrates are known to have used the spice in remedies for coughs, colds, stomach ailments, insomnia, uterine bleeding,scarlet fever, heart trouble, and flatulence. It has been used in both Ayurveda and traditional Chinese as a digestive, antidepressant, and painkiller. Ancient Egyptians dedicated the spice to Thoth, the god of wisdom and magic, and called saffron “the blood of Thoth”. In a flamboyant display of wealth and power, Roman emperor Nero is said to have had the streets of Rome sprinkled with saffron for his entry into the city. The bulk of the world’s saffron grows in the Eurasian region bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the southwest to India and China in the northeast. The world’s leading producers are Iran, Spain, India,Greece,China and Morocco.In India, saffron is grown in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, and Kashmiri saffron is considered to be of the highest quality worldwide.
The crocus is a perennial herb that does not produce seeds but grows from corms (onion-shaped fleshy condensed stems produced annually underground). Each corm flowers only once, giving rise to new corms at its base for the next year before withering and dying. A single plant produces one to seven flowers, which are brilliant lilac in colour with dark purple veins. A three pronged stalk, known as a stye, emerges from each flower, with each prong terminating in a vivid redstigma that is about30mmlong. Itisthese stigmasthat make up the saffron spice.Often,the tops of the styes are also collected, butthey are usedonly toa limited extentin high quality saffron. The flowers are hand-picked and the stigmas harvested manually – a highly laborious and time-consuming task that contributes to the spice’s prohibitive price. To get a single kilogram of pure saffron, it would be required to harvest about 1,50,000 flowers a featr equiring no less than 40 hours of labour! Once harvested, the stigmas must be quickly dried and the dried spice sealed in airtight glass containers.
Saffron is recognised to have high medicinal value.Agoodsourceofminerals such as copper, potassium, manganese and iron, it is also rich in many vital vitaminsincluding vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid,riboflavin and niacin. Further, it contains many compounds that are known to have anti-oxidant, carminative and antiseptic properties. Among these is alpha-crocin, a carotenoid that gives saffron its characteristic golden yellow colour. Safranal, a volatile oil found in saffron, is believed to act against cancer cells.
Saffron is widely used in Indian, European, Turkish and Arab cuisines as a culinary seasoning and to colourfoods. Itis anessentialingredientinhigh-quality, milk-based confectioneries andMughlai disheswhere itimparts a rich colour and flavour. Apart from its use as food and medicine, saffron is also utilised in dyes and perfumes
