“Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, With pleasant fruits; Camphire, with spikenard, Spikenard and saffron…”
Song of Songs 4:13 King James Version
Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–so glad you’re here!
This week, I’m continuing my exploration of Biblical foods and today, I’m wrapping up my exploration of herbs and spices by taking a dive into the world of saffron.
Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice, selling for between $5,000-$10,000 a pound. The good news is that a little goes a long way, and unless you run a restaurant or something, you will never need that much saffron. Saffron is expensive because it is super labor-intensive to produce. It comes from the stigma of the blue crocus flower. Each flower only produces three stigma and those stigmas must be harvested by hand in the early dawn. It takes approximately 150 crocus flowers to produce just one gram of saffron.
Fresh saffron will have a deep, bright red, almost glossy color to it. It smells florally, herby and a little sweet–like honey-sweet. Its taste is similar. Saffron comes as dry threads that are about an inch long. They should be tangled, but not sticky. The best way to use saffron is to put it into a little jar or bowl and add a small amount of very hot (not quite boiling) water–the water that comes out of your instant hot water dispenser is just about right. Let it sit in the water for a few minutes, and the water should have turned an intense yellow color–and if it doesn’t–if the water turns red, for example–you may have adulterated saffron that has been dyed red–hence, the threads should be dry, not sticky. Because saffron is so expensive, there is a thriving market for fakes out there. Your best bet is to buy your saffron from a proper spice shop–I like The Spice House or Diaspora for my saffron.
I think the first time I can remember being exposed to saffron, and risotto, for that matter, was back in the early 1990’s. I was watching a cooking demo on the Today Show. The chef made risotto with saffron in it. It looked incredible and I was dying to try it. It was before the internet was a ubiquitous resource, so I couldn’t just look up the recipe. Instead, I had to jot it down as best I could from the demo with pen and paper, like an animal. After some hunting, I managed to find saffron and Arborio rice and I made the recipe, or at least my version of it. It took me exactly one bite to be totally hooked on it. Mr. Stone Soup, not so much, but I’ll get into that in a minute.
Saffron is a rather interesting spice. Saffron has compounds that may be beneficial in fighting inflammation, depression and hypertension. But saffron’s more interesting benefit may be that it seems to suppress appetite, thereby aiding in weight reduction. Studies are on-going, so stay tuned!
And now for more on why Mr. Stone Soup isn’t a huge fan of risotto–he says he eats about three bites of it and is full! Since I never make risotto without saffron, I wonder if there is a connection. But–I’m not a researcher, and my experiments in the kitchen are far from scientific, so… Still–one wonders!
Other fun facts about saffron include that in Persian households, it is common to put a pinch of saffron into tea when entertaining company, as a sign of hospitality, a gesture of friendship and to make guests feel welcome. I just love this idea–I’m going to adopt it the next time I serve tea!
And finally, popular culture has it that Cleopatra bathed in it, believing it to make her skin radiant and to enhance her encounters with suitors–oh la la!
Saffron risotto makes a side dish for almost any protein. Here, I feature it with a piece of seared salmon, but risotto plays equally well with a nice filet, grilled pork loin, or chicken.
Since the risotto is quite rich and creamy, a nice sauvignon blanc or pinot gris goes nicely with it. If you’re serving a red meat, consider going with a nice pinot noir.
Join me later in the week when I share recipes for Easter dinner.
Until then,
Peace, love and good food,
Keri
