What Part of the Plant Does Saffron Come From?

A spoonful of saffron helps the bouillabaisse go down.

Saffron is a fragrant spice derived from the red-orange stigmas of saffron crocus flowers. Threads are hand picked from the very center of the flower as the saffron threads are surrounded by yellow stamens, which are flavorless.

Origin

Saffron was originally found in Arabia but began showing up in Spanish cooking in the eighth century. Saffron today is the world's most expensive spice, as each saffron crocus flower yields only two or three saffron threads from the stigmas and a mere ounce of saffron is made up of approximately 14,000 threads.

Quality

When choosing saffron, look for a bright red color as these are the threads of the highest quality. Look for the telltale slightly orange color at the tips of the threads in high quality saffron. Whole threads have a richer flavor than their powdered counterpart and should always be stored in an airtight container.

Cooking Considerations

Most widely known for its use in Spanish dishes, saffron is also used frequently in Italian rice dishes and French bouillabaisse. As this spice is highly flavorful, a little goes a long way in cooking. A few threads is usually all that's required to flavor an entire dish. Saffron goes well with garlic, thyme and vinegar and has an affinity for seafood dishes.

References

• RecipeTips.com: Spices: Easy How-To Cooking and Advice
• Essortment.com: Information and Advice on Health, Science, and Education: "Spanish Cooking with Saffron"
• What's Cooking America: Saffron -- Crocus Sativus

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish