When we talk about saffron, the East immediately appears with its subtle luxury, an abundance of spices and unusual tastes. Seasoning saffron was sung in poems and legends, its useful properties were noted by Hippocrates. In the East you can hear that once there lived a beautiful young man named Saffron, who somehow did not please the gods, and they turned him into a beautiful flower.
Spice saffron is really obtained from the stigmas of flowers, however, we call them crocuses. This product is used not only to give food special taste, but also as a dye: archaeologists often find pictures made with the help of saffron.
Why is saffron useful?
Stigmas of flowers - this is one of the most rich in useful substances parts of plants. Saffron is quite caloric, but, given that it is used in very small quantities, this can be neglected. By the way, you can not abuse this spice because it's quite poisonous: sometimes half a gram can cause irreparable harm to the health. But we have nothing to fear: the amount that we add to the food is measured in hundred gram. But they give us a huge amount of essential vitamins and minerals, they are saturated with flavonoids and antioxidants. Scientists have noticed that people who use saffron, are easier to cope with even the most serious diseases.
Saffron-seasoning: where to add?
Pollen of crocuses due to the high content of biologically active and coloring substances is used in many branches - medicine, cosmetology, even industry. But first of all saffron - seasoning, its use in cooking is very wide. He will give any dishes a rich golden shade and excellent taste. The most common option - to cook with saffron rice, then this simple cereal will play with new colors, so pilaf without this spice will cost hardly. The golden seasoning is also suitable for vegetables, especially beans, courgettes and eggplants. Saffron in cooking is used for taste, and as a dye: it is added to cupcakes and mousses , biscuits and cream from fruit. He often bakes bread with him.
In some countries, saffron is so popular that it is added to coffee or tea.
How to use saffron?
Natural saffron is sold in the form of specific veins. Choose carefully: the most rich taste is dark saffron, dark red or even reddish-brown. You can often find saffron in the form of a ready-made powder, but it's too easy to fake, so do not risk wasting money. As for the application, the veins can immediately be added to the dish, but it is better to prepare the seasoning in advance: veins should be slightly dried in a frying pan without oil, pounded into a fine powder and then dissolved in a small amount of water, milk or alcohol. So the spice will be preserved for a long time, and will completely give its taste to the dish. For baking saffron is added to the dough already at the beginning of kneading, but in hot dishes - not earlier than five minutes before cooked. The dosage of saffron is very small.
The cost of saffron has always been comparable to gold, and even now, when pepper and salt are almost worthless, the Golden Season is still not very accessible. Therefore in India they have found for a long time what can be replaced saffron. It is now used only on special occasions, and in daily meals use turmeric. Its taste is not so bright, it is a bit like pepper and orange, but turmeric also gives the products an appetizing golden hue. Add it a little, at the tip of the knife for one serving.