saffron

Saffron comes from Hispanic Arabic azza'farán, in turn derived from classical Arabic za'farān. It's about a vegetable which belongs to the family group of the iridaceae.

Saffron has a tuber-like rhizome; a Perigonian with three internal and three external divisions; three stamens; and a stigma that is divided into three. The parts of the stigma, once they dry, they are used as spice.

Its gastronomic use is frequent in many regions. Saffron dishes are not only characterized by acquiring the smell and the taste of this spice, but are also stained golden or yellow by the presence of crocin, a chemical compound of carotenoids.

To obtain a kilogram of saffron already prepared as a condiment, a few 250,000 flowers of the plant. This is why it is a very expensive spice: in fact, saffron is often referred to as the most expensive spice in the world. world.

It is estimated that the first saffron crops were made some 3,000 years. Today it occurs in many countries from East, but also in Spain, England, France, USA and other nations. The largest producer internationally is Iran.

Many rice and pasta recipes use saffron. The famous Paella Valencian, for example, it is prepared with saffron, which gives the rice grains a characteristic hue. The elaboration known as pepitoria, which is applied to different meats, includes saffron, almonds, egg yolk, pepper and other ingredients. Various types of curries, finally, they also have saffron.