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The name of the Crocus comes from the Greek word “krokos,” which meant "saffron." The bright orangish yellow dye of saffron and the flavoring used worldwide in different dishes comes from the female flowering parts of Crocus Sativa, native to the eastern Mediterranean lands.
Crocus or saffron was probably first domesticated in Greece during the Bronze Age. In ancient times, it was used to dye royal robes, and was sometimes scattered in the paths of Roman emperors. In the medieval ages, it traveled west with the Arabs to Spain. Later the Crusaders brought it home with them to England. Today Iran and Spain are the major producers and exporters. Saffron is used in rice dishes, pilaf and paelle. The French enjoy it in fish stew, bouillabaise, the Italians in risotto milanese and the Indians in milk sweets. The stigmas of saffron must be harvested by hand. It takes about 20 hours of work to produce a pound of dried saffron. Each flower must be harvested on the same day it opens, in late autumn. Once plucked from the flower, the stigmas are gently dried by toasting for about half an hour over a fire or dried for a longer time in the sun or in a warm room. It’s been estimated that it takes 4,000 Crocuses to yield one ounce of saffron, which explains why it was, and is, so expensive. Saffron's strong color comes from carotenoid pigments that are easily extracted in hot water or milk, which is why it colors so well. Saffron has been used medicinally to reduce fevers, cramps and enlarged livers, and to calm nerves. It has also been used externally to for bruises, rheumatism, and neuralgia. |
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