SAFFRON

The Greeks of antiquity used saffron as a cosmetic for their beautiful women. The Emperor Nero had the streets of Rome covered with the golden threads before he rode into the city. Wealthy Romans drank a saffron broth at their orgies, so that they could devote themselves more energetically to the service of Venus, the goddess of love. And saffron also gives fabrics a colour which ranges from yellow to a deep gold. It was a prized material for the veils of Phoenician brides, and after the death of the Buddha his priests approved the noble spice as the dye for colouring their robes.

Saffron has always been one of the world’s most valuable products, with a price which could sometimes be higher than that of gold. Crocus sativus is the name botanists give to this treasure. This type of crocus originally came from Asia Minor, where it has been cultivated since ancient times. The Arabs brought the spice az-zafaran (literally “yellow”) to Spain during their tempestuous drive west over a thousand years ago, and today over 70 percent of the worlds production is grown on the high Castilian plateau.

The miracle happens each year in October. The crocus flowers open up in the dark, and the red light of dawn shines on a purple carpet, the manto. From Toledo to Albacete, pure chaos reigns. Safran (azafrán) must be gathered within a day Otherwise, the valuable threads lose their flavor. The harvest period lasts scarcely ten days. The farmers pluck the flowers between their index fingers and thumbs. The women sit at long tables and separate out the reddish stigma with practiced
skill, their fingers moving as fast as lightning. Finally the stigma is roasted on a sieve. In earlier times, this was done over charcoal. Nowadays, gas burners tend to be used. About 200 crocus flowers are needed to obtain a single gram of saffron, and the average harvest obtained by a family enterprise is around 8 Castilian pounds (a Castilian pound equals 460 grams, approximately 1 pound, avoirdupois weight). Since time immemorial, the “red gold of La Mancha,” dried and preserved in the closet between layered sheets, has acted as a savings bank for the farming families. Saffron was once accepted as a currency and even today the Spanish expression for bartering is “to pay in especie” (“spice”).

The saffron harvest has always brought life to the sleepy dazzlingly white villages of La Mancha. In the old days, helping out with the harvest was a good opportunity for a young man to visit the home of a farmer’s daughter he loved. Perhaps he could steal a kiss unnoticed during the bustle of the harvest. (After all, from olden times love has been connected with the valuable plant; in a Roman fable, a lovesick youth called Crocus is turned into a flower.) The “Saffron Rose Festival” (fiesta de Ia Rasa de Azafrán) is the highpoint of the year in Consuegra. On the last Sunday in October, at the foot of the white windmills against which Don Quixote once battled, the farmers celebrate with music and dancing, and choose the most captivating local beauty to be crowned as Dulcinea de La Mancha in honour of the beloved Don Quixote.

How to handle the noble threads

The aroma of saffron is strong, but dillicult to define. It has little in common with the unobtrusive perfume of the crocus flower, and even the scent of a roasting stigma is beguiling.

Nowadays it is mainly the Italian risotto Milanese and the Spanish paella which are coloured with saffron. Cheaper substitutes suffice for the colour, but those who are in search of the unique taste will not be able to do without the expensive original.

For only saffron contains the carotenoids and ethereal oils which create the mysterious aroma, by which can also become bitter in excessive doses. Once roasted, it can be kept for a long time. It should be stored in a dry place away from the light and for the finest flavour it should be consumed within two to three years. Anyone using the valuable threads in cooking has to be careful. They develop their taste only in hot dishes — but adding them directly to a hot mixture that is already cooked destroys their effect. The threads are crushed between the fingers or in a mortar and are then softened in a little water. A little melted butter fixes the flavour. Crushed saffron can also be stirred into yogurt and can thus be added to a sauce. In cooking, an envelope of powder weighing less than half an ounce (12.5 grants) or a few threads are enough for four to six portions.
Bill & Sheila’s A-Z of herbs – saffron
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