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In Search of the $10,000 Spice
There’s also powdered saffron, which does not need to go through the process of infusion before it can be used. Additionally, powdered saffron can be more accurately measured than whole threads. So if you have high-quality saffron, you should feel free to grind it yourself with a mortar and pestle. But powdered saffron brings up issues of “adulteration,” as the quality and purity of the saffron may have been compromised with the addition of turmeric or safflower to saffron. And some adulterators will dye styles—the part of the pistil between the flower’s ovary and stigma—so that they look like saffron threads, which is the equivalent of being sold oregano instead of marijuana. In 15th-century Germany, saffron adulterators were fined, imprisoned, and executed. Yikes.
A final thing to keep in mind when cooking with saffron is the type of dish you’re making and its location of origin. For example, a European dish might taste most right when made with Spanish saffron, while an Indian dish might be better suited to Iranian or Kashmiri saffron. But it’s all a matter of taste. Taste, and how many different kinds of saffron you’ve got lying around.
4.) Medicinal properties. Saffron has long been acknowledged as a powerful medicinal tool. Medieval Europeans used it to treat the common cold and cough. Ancient Persians used saffron as an aphrodisiac. Additionally, the spice has been credited with alleviating everything from acne to depression to cancer to bug bites, and plays a significant role in ayurvedic and other holistic and alternative medicines. But can saffron really relieve the pain of arthritis, sore throats, and menstrual cramps, as some believe? “I think we can accurately say that saffron is high in riboflavin and B vitamins, and I think we can say that it’s a mild euphoric. So if you make a saffron tea, it’s going to make you feel a little better,” says Born. Scientific research suggests that saffron’s naturally occurring pigments have anti-carcinogenic and anti-mutagenic properties and can alter immune function. But don’t go swallowing the whole jar; an overdose of saffron can be fatal.
Plus: Check out Hungry Beast, for more news on the latest restaurants, hot chefs, and tasty recipes.
Sarah Whitman-Salkin is an editor at Cookstr.com. She lives in New York City.
John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Leslie H. Gelb, a former New York Times columnist and senior government official, is author of Power Rules: How Common Sense Can Rescue American Foreign Policy (HarperCollins 2009), a book that shows how to think about and use power in the 21st century. He is president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations.
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Christopher Buckley's books include Supreme Courtship, The White House Mess, Thank You for Smoking, Little Green Men, and Florence of Arabia. He was chief speechwriter for Vice President George H.W. Bush, and is editor-at-large of ForbesLife magazine. His new book is Losing Mum and Pup, a memoir. Buckley's Daily Beast column is the winner of an Online Journalism Award in the category of Online Commentary.
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Sarah Whitman-Salkin is an editor at Cookstr.com. She lives in New York City.
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Sarah Whitman-Salkin is an editor at Cookstr.com. She lives in New York City.
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Sarah Whitman-Salkin is an editor at Cookstr.com. She lives in New York City.
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