All About Saffron | Know Your Spice Kesar (Crocus sativus L.)

Spice card – all about saffron | know your spice kesar (crocus sativus l. )

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus L., commonly known as the “saffron crocus“. It belongs to the Iridaceae

The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in food.

Kesar has been the world’s most costly spice by weight for long.

It was first grown in Iran, where currently about 90% of the global production comes from.

Other producing countries are Spain, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, and India. In India, it is cultivated in Jammu & Kashmir and in Himachal Pradesh.

Saffron-based pigments have been found in the prehistoric paints used to depict beasts in 50,000-year-old cave art in what is today Iraq.

Later, the Sumerians used it as an ingredient in their remedies and magical potions. However, Sumerians did not actively cultivate it.

They instead chose to gather their stores from wild flowers only, because they felt that only divine intervention would enable it’s medicinal properties.

The first images of Crocus sativus (kesar) flowers we know of have been found on earthenware pots in Minoan palaces.

The oldest, well-known image can be seen on a pot that was made around 2000 – 1800 BC, so 3800 to 4000 years ago.

Cleopatra was said to bathe in saffron-infused mare’s milk before seeing a suitor.

In Santorini, several women are harvesting zafran on mural paintings. Another woman uses Saffron to color her lips, possibly in preparation for a religious ritual.

Excavations in the entire area around the Mediterranean show that Saffron – along with tin – was the main trade product of the Minoan civilization.

The wealth of the inhabitants of Crete and surrounding islands was therefore based for a considerable part on kesar.

It was so important at that time that people everywhere depicted Saffron: on murals, on pots, bowls and vases, and on clothes.

Poets have romanticized it, monks have worn clothes dyed with its color, emperors have dreamt of it and saints have worshiped it. Stories around the golden spice abound.

According to one, Mughal Emperor Akbar loved the smell of Zafraan so much, that the large windows in the bathhouses of his palaces, especially in Rajasthan, would overlook Zafraan fields.

It is said he loved the scent of the golden spice to waft through the windows and perfume the air.

• It is used for cosmetic purposes, absorbed in infusion or even in the cutaneous application.
• As per traditional Iranian medicine, Zafraan can improve the complexion and can be used to treat erysipelas.
• As per traditional Greek medicine, it can refresh the skin of the face and is used to relieve the liver of the domination of bile and to treat acne, skin diseases and wounds.
• Kesar is known to have anti-sun effects that can protect the skin from harmful UV rays.
• A mixture of soaked Zafraan strands and virgin coconut oil, or olive oil, and a bit of raw milk is an effective way to exfoliate and improve blood circulation face skin.
• It is used in the composition of different perfumes both feminine and masculine, with an original and exotic potential.
• The use of kesar as an antidepressant has a long tradition, ranging from antiquity to modern times.
•  Traditionally, Muslims, Phoenicians and Chinese use Zafraan as a sexual stimulant.
• From antiquity to the present day, and all over the world, most of the Zafraan produced was, and is still used, in cooking.

Taste of Saffron is sweet with floral notes. Its aroma resembles that of honey, but with metallic notes.

Store saffron in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to six months for maximum flavour.

Wrap the saffron threads in foil and place them in an airtight container. Store them in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. For longer storage, keep the container of saffron in your freezer for up to 2 years.

• Turmeric is referred to as the “saffron of the Indies”. If you’re cooking a dish that needs color, then turmeric is a good option. Turmeric adds its flavour too.
• Safflower also known as “Mexican saffron” won’t give you the delightful flavour or aroma offered by saffron; but, it will provide a similar vibrant color for your food.
• Annatto is known as “poor man’s saffron” and makes an excellent saffron replacement.

Saffron is readily available in most large grocery stores and specialty markets. Due to its value, it may be stocked in a locked or secured area.

If you don’t see any on the shelf, ask the store attendants. You can also order it online via amazon.

The following are health benefits of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) or Kesar

• Health Benefits of Saffron as an Antioxidant – Saffron is rich in both antioxidants and flavonoids. Antioxidants help protect the body from harmful substances. Flavonoids are chemicals found in plants that help the plant protect itself from fungus and disease.
• Health Benefits of Kesar for Heart – It was found that saffron reduced the possibility that bad cholesterol would cause tissue damage. Researchers believe that the antioxidant properties of saffron might have a protective effect when it comes to heart disease.
• Health Benefits of Kesar as a Memory Booster – Saffron contains two chemicals, crocin and crocetin, which researchers believe may help learning and memory function.
• Health Benefits of Saffron against Cancer – A 2015 review in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine found that the chemical makeup of saffron may be effective in preventing and treating several different cancers.
• Health Benefits of Kesar against Nervous System Ailments – Research from 2015 claims that compounds in saffron, such as crocin, appear to reduce inflammation and oxidative damage in the brain, which may lead to beneficial effects.
• Health Benefits of Saffron for Mood – Research suggests that taking 30 milligrams (mg) of saffron each day could cause similar effects as drugs that treat mild-to-moderate depression, such as imipramine and fluoxetine.
• Health Benefits of Kesar for Sexuality: Saffron may also increase sex drive and sexual function in both males and females.
• Health Benefits of Saffron for Premenstrual Syndrome: Saffron may also act to reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
• Health Benefits of Kesar for Weight Loss: There is also some evidence to suggest that saffron may help promote weight loss and curb the appetite.
• Health Benefits of Saffron for Skin Care: In addition to the antisolar and moisturizing properties of saffron, the prevention of skin cancers by saffron because of its antioxidant properties is important as well
• Health Benefits of Kesar for Digestion: Virtues have been attributed to saffron concerning the gastrointestinal system, in particular, those of stimulating the stomach, reducing appetite, treating hemorrhoids etc.
• Health Benefits of Saffron’s Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Effect: Extracts and tinctures of saffron have been used to treat fever, wounds, lower back pain, abscesses, and gingivitis as well as pain related to the eruption of the first teeth in infants.
• Health Benefits of Kesar against Diabetes: The use of high-dose crocetin (40 mg/kg) counteracts the development of insulin resistance by avoiding compensatory hyperinsulinemia.