What is Saffron

What is Saffron 

     Are you wondering what saffron is? This is the place to know everything about saffron. Keep reading to experience everything about fabulous saffron.

      We can say that saffron is a  spice that is plucked from a flower. That flower is "crocus sativus" or commonly known as saffron sativus. The dried vivid crimson stigma  (threads like components in the bud,) of the flower is called saffron.

Saffron sativus

What is Saffron used for?

     Saffron is mainly used for seasoning and colouring food. Saffron also used for cosmetics worldwide. Most people believe that saffron is originated from Iran, but some have other ideas too. Saffron is widely used in Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. It is used as a colouring agent for rice dishes in Asian cuisine. Also used for dishes like risotto and various types of dessert around the world. Saffron has a unique taste and fragrance. The subtle sweetness and easily identifiable in any recipe is another quality of saffron. Saffron typically has an orangish-red colour.

     Saffron is considered one of the most expensive spices in the world. Reasons for that are, 

• Almost all the steps of production saffron are done by hand. 
• More than 70000 flowers are required to produce 1 pound of saffron.  

     To make it more difficult, the saffron flower blossom only one week per year. One gram of saffron costs typically around 12 $. 

Saffron strands

What are the health benefits of saffron?

Saffron has numerous health benefits. Saffron has compounds with qualities like antioxidants, health-promoting, and disease-preventing. It also contains several types of oils. The most valuable one is safranal oil. Safranal gives saffron its unique flavour. Apart from safranal, it also contains oils like,

•    Cineole
•    Panthenol
•    Pinene
•    Borneol
•    Geraniol
•    Limonene
•    Pcymene
•    Linalool
•    Terpinene-4

    Saffron also contains a carotenoid compound called alpha-crocin. It gives saffron a unique orangish-red colour. The antioxidant compounds in saffron help to protect the body from cancers, infections, oxidant-induced stress and strengthen the immune system.

What are the nutrition values of saffron?

Saffron has exsellent nutrition values. It contains important minerals like,

•    Copper
•    Potassium
•    Calcium
•    Manganese
•    Iron
•    Selenium
•    Zinc
•    Magnesium

Potassium plays a vital role in the body by controlling the heart rate and blood pressure. Iron is an essential component of red blood cell production in the body. Manganese and copper also used as co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme and superoxide dismutase by the body.

What are the beauty benefits of Saffron?

Saffron can be used to gain a lot of advantages to the skin. Saffron,

• Improve skin whiteness
• Heal Scars
• Help skin growth
• Glows skin
• Reduce sunburns  

Saffron strands can be applied to the skin after mixing with milk cream, rose water, coconut oil, almond oil, and olive oil. Saffron also can be used with milk as a drink. 

How to grow Saffron?

An area with good sunlight and well-draining soil is required to grow Saffron successfully. The land needs to be prepared by adding a 10-inch thick compost layer below the topsoil before planting the saffron bulbs (Crocus corm). Bulbs need to be placed 3-4 inches deep and approximately 3 inches apart from each other. The soil must be kept moist but not waterlogged by watering the bulbs 1-2 times per week. Saffron plant is naturally durable and resistant for most diseases; hence, it is easy to grow. But the downside is that one bulb will only produce one flower. One flower will only produce about 3 saffron strands. We need to plant a large number to produce a large amount of saffron. It will take about 6-8 weeks to produce a flower after cultivation started. 

Saffron cultivation

That is all about saffron, Hope that you all got the answer to, what is saffron?

 

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