Knowing saffron

When it comes to saffron, few know really what it is and what are the methods of

cultivation quest 'ancient spices.

The saffron we use to give that 'unique flavor to many delicious dishes is nothing more

than the pistil of the flower of Crocus sativus, which is part of the family Iridaceae, has

purple flower, lonely and lanceolate leaves that blooms in autumn. They found citations of

this precious spices already in the papyri, the Song of Songs as well as in the Iliad.

At the time of the Romans and ancient Greece saffron was used not only as a flavoring

agent, capable of providing hilarity and sexual vigor, even as a dye for dyeing and as a key

element for the best perfumes.

E 'out of the question the reputation of saffron, which in ancient scriptures were given the

power to make men happy and pervaded by profound joy.

The countries of origin of this product are located on the slopes of the mountain range of

the 'Himalayas, including Kashmir and India, and Iran comes from these countries about

95% of the world production of saffron. September is the month of his collection, this

time in the morning, saffron is patiently hand-picked by women with skilled hands and

gentle, trained not to damage the precious stigma with for fully manual which explains the

high cost of the same , serve, in fact, approximately 120.000/150.000 flowers to obtain

one kilogram of finished product because each of them has only three to five stigmas.

The analyzes demonstrate the high percentage of saffron carotenoids that contain

Crocina, are formidable natural antioxidants, vitamins B1 and B2, which contribute to the

metabolism of fats, also makes it an excellent digestive.

(Walter Santucci)