What makes a dish especially tasty and fragrant? Of course, seasonings! Not a single preparation can do without them, whether it is a simple vegetable salad or complex pastries. Seasonings take pride of place in the kitchen of those who love to cook, and housewives know that with the amount of herbs, peppers and other spices you need to be careful - because if you go too far with them, the dish will change its taste beyond recognition, to the extent that it is impossible will eat.
Famous chefs all over the world have their own secrets regarding spices. And they, like many cooking enthusiasts, dearly love saffron and consider it the king of all seasonings. We learn together about what saffron (seasoning) is, where to add it so that the dish turns out deliciously delicious, and where to buy this royal spice.
Priceless flower
The saffron spice is nothing more than the stigmas of the flower crocus sativa (Latin Crocus sativus), which belongs to the iris family. The plant itself is interesting in that it does not have a stem: a flower and leaves develop directly from the top of the bulb. From one tuber no more than three flowers appear , the color of which varies from pale lilac to deep purple. Crocus blooms for only 3 days in early autumn, and the most expensive seasoning is saffron - This is the pestle of crocus, which consists of 3 long thin tubes of bright red-orange color. In order for saffron spice to be of high quality, crocus flowers must be collected on the day of flowering, otherwise they will quickly fade.
Handmade
By the way, a blooming crocus is harvested in the old fashioned way - by hand, since this delicate plant does not tolerate brute force and touch of any technique. The harvest is laid out on the table and the stigmas are plucked from the flowers (again by hand). Then they are dried at a temperature of 50 degrees in a special dryer for 13-15 minutes. Dried stigmas are dipped in water - this way sorting of the spice takes place. The stigmas that have sunk to the bottom are considered the highest quality, respectively, the price for them is very high. The same stigmas that remained to swim on the surface belong to the third grade and cost a little cheaper.
Worth its weight in gold
By the way, to get only 1 gram of this spice, you need to pick about 150 flowers, and 1 kilogram of dry saffron is obtained after processing about 150 thousand crocus flowers. From 1 hectare of saffron plantation, you can get up to 20 kilograms of finished spices. Amazing, isn't it? It is not surprising that the price of this truly royal seasoning is so high: a wholesale batch of saffron costs about 3,000 euros, while retailing 1 gram of this spice will cost $ 10!
Since ancient times, saffron has been considered a cure for literally all diseases. During excavations conducted on one of the islands of the Aegean Sea in 2014, researchers found ancient frescoes that are more than 3,500 years old. They depicted a deity who healed the afflicted with the help of saffron. Scientists also found that in ancient Iran, saffron was originally used not as a medicinal panacea and seasoning, but as a dye for fabrics.
Jewel from India
The best in all respects is Indian saffron. Seasoning of unsurpassed quality is made in Indian Kashmir and is a dried long stigma of juicy red, almost burgundy color, with a rich and persistent aroma. Kashmir saffron is quite difficult to grow, so it is produced in very small quantities and is incredibly expensive. Indian saffron - seasoning, application which only very expensive restaurants and very wealthy people can afford.
Treasure from Spain
Second in quality is Spanish saffron, which is grown in La Mancha. Harvesting begins in the second half of October: at this time, work on plantations is in full swing for 20 hours a day. The main feature of Spanish saffron is that after the spice strands are extracted from the crocus flowers , they are dried over an open fire. This technique triggers a special chemical reaction in the stigmas, due to which saffron seasoning, which is so common in restaurants and houses in Spain, acquires an incredible, amazing aroma.
Saffron paradise
In addition to India and Spain, saffron is produced in Iran. Iran is the largest producer of this unique spice. Iranian saffron plantations extend over 20 thousand hectares in the territory of the Khorasan province, they grow up to 250 tons of this unsurpassed spice. Therefore, it is not surprising that Iran is the world leader in saffron export.
Caution, fake!
Unfortunately, a lot of unscrupulous sellers under the guise of saffron sell various fakes, and it is good if it will be ordinary turmeric, and not cut tinted paper! By the way, a hundred years ago, in Iran, hands were cut off for the sale of fakes of this spice to sinning merchants, and their goods and all property were simply burned!
Fake from Turkey
Most often, fake spices under the guise of saffron are sold in the spices market in Turkey. Red-orange slides sellers are positioned as seasoning. Turkish saffron beckons an inexperienced buyer with an acceptable price and strong aroma. It is quite natural that an ordinary person is unlikely to be able to determine the truth of a spice by its color, exuded aroma and taste - for this you need to be an expert on this spice. Under the guise of Turkish saffron, often either ground turmeric root or dried safflower flowers (called Mexican saffron) are often hidden. These products are the budget substitute for this spice. The so-called Turkish saffron is a seasoning, the use of which is widespread everywhere: in Turkey, the Caucasus, France, Poland, Italy and in the territories of countries that used to be part of the USSR.
Finding True Saffron
In order not to be deceived and not to buy a fake, you should know how saffron seasoning looks in its true form. The real spice can be calculated for sure only after it is checked in a chemical laboratory. The buyer has to focus on the minimum three indicators: color, taste, smell, and, of course, you should not buy this spice in its ground form. Real saffron can only be bought in specialized stores! At the same time, it is sold in sealed boxes, on which the manufacturer and grade must be indicated. Remember that true spice cannot be cheap!
Natural saffron is a tangled long dark red stigma, soft and delicate, almost weightless, with a characteristic, somewhat medical aroma and a delicate bitter-sweet taste.
The main thing is to know the measure!
So, now you know what saffron (seasoning) is. Where to add it, so as not to spoil the dish and not translate the products? Indeed, you must admit, it will be very disappointing if, after several hours spent in the kitchen in the name of a culinary masterpiece, the dish will be spoiled by the wrong seasonings. Remember: saffron seasoning, the use of which can turn any dish into a culinary masterpiece, is never added in large quantities, otherwise it will give the dish an intolerable smell and excessive bitterness.
The secret of taste
Saffron is a seasoning whose application in cooking is very, very diverse and at the same time universal. It is used in the preparation of soups, meat and fish dishes, as well as in all kinds of pastries and various desserts. In addition to the delicate taste and delicate aroma, this spice gives the dishes a yellow-orange hue.
Cabbage is turning ...
By the way, saffron perfectly complements vegetables, whether it is a simple salad or ratatouille. Especially delicious is cabbage with saffron. The recipe for spicy white cabbage salad is simple and will surely appeal to all lovers of fine cuisine.
To prepare this dish you will need:
- half the head of cabbage;
- one medium carrot;
- one large onion;
- two large cloves of garlic;
- litere of water;
- a tablespoon of vinegar (preferably 7%);
- two tablespoons of sugar;
- one tablespoon of table salt;
- one teaspoon of ground black pepper;
- half a teaspoon of red hot pepper;
- one teaspoon of coriander;
- several strands of saffron (three to four little things);
- optionally add a little raisins or barberry;
- cooking oil for frying.
1. My cabbage, separate the top sheets and chop coarsely. Pour the chopped vegetable with hot (non-boiling) water and leave for 10-15 minutes.
2. Put the pan on fire, heat the oil in it. Cut the peeled onions into large cubes and fry together with red pepper over low heat until golden.
3. While the onion is fried, prepare the marinade: bring to a boil a liter of water and add sugar, vinegar, peppers, salt, raisins or barberry. Garlic and saffron (seasoning) go there. Where to add fried onions? In a saucepan with marinade, after which we mix the contents and let it simmer for five to seven minutes. While the marinade is languishing, we rub the carrots.
5. Throw the cabbage into a colander and put it in a separate pan. Add carrots there and mix everything thoroughly.
6. Pour the cabbage with carrots into the cooked marinade, cover tightly and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
In a day, the spicy, piquant and surprisingly tasty salad is ready! It can be eaten with fried potatoes or mashed potatoes, with meat, chicken, noodles, rice and just as an independent dish.
On this delicious note, our acquaintance with such a culinary miracle as saffron (seasoning) ends. Now you know where to add it, how to choose and not run into a fake. The point is small - to buy a true saffron and enjoy its unsurpassed qualities.