Saffron

Flavour and aroma

honey-like, hay-like, floral, slightly bitter. Honeyed, floral, slightly bitter.

Heat

No heat

Forms

whole, ground

How to use it

• soak

  Soak a pinch (about 15–20 threads) in 2–3 tbsp warm milk or water for 15–20 minutes, then add the liquid and threads to the dish.

• toast · Toasting technique

  Optional: warm the threads very briefly on a dry tawa over low heat (a few seconds, never browning), then crush before soaking.

• Biryani and pulao
• Paella and risotto alla milanese
• Persian tahdig and saffron rice
• Kheer, kulfi and Swedish saffron buns
• Bouillabaisse

Identifying good quality

Deep red threads (stigmas) 2–3 cm long, wider and trumpet-shaped at one end. Real saffron colours warm water slowly golden-yellow while the threads stay red. Fakes (safflower, corn silk, dyed threads) bleed colour at once or turn pale.

Origin and history

Origin: Domesticated from a wild crocus, most likely in the eastern Mediterranean (Greece).. Grown and used: Iran grows about 90% of the world's saffron; also Kashmir (India), Spain, Greece, Morocco and Afghanistan..

Saffron has been grown for centuries on the plateaus around Pampore in Kashmir, and Kashmiri saffron is a registered Geographical Indication. It colours and perfumes Mughlai biryani, kormas, kheer, kulfi and Kashmiri kahwa.

Well documented

In masalas, pastes and sauces

• Kashk-e bademjanSauce0.1 g per batch