Stefany Vigil
Anders Sanelli
English 96/1A
14 February 2013
Saffron the Red Gold
Saffron has a glory and glamor all it’s own. Known euphemistically as "red gold," it has long held a reputation for being the most expensive spice in the world. Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Each saffron crocus grows to 20–30 cm and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel. Together with the styles, or stalks that connect the stigmas to their host plant, the dried stigmas are used mainly in various cuisines as a seasoning and coloring agent. Saffron is the world's most costly spices by weight. It is native to Greece or Southwest Asia. (Saffron: the most precious spice in the world by Habeeb Salloum) When it comes to buying saffron, the first thing buyers ask is where the saffron comes from and which year it was raised. People ask the year of the saffron crop because some years the saffron flavor is stronger than others. The major producers of saffron are: Spain, India, Iran, and Pakistan. The main reason why American people started consuming saffron is because of immigration from those countries. When people come to America they bring with them their culture, traditions, and food as with saffron in this case. Saffron is a multi-use product; it can be used as a medicine, as a spice, and also to make desserts, and fragrances. Unfortunately saffron is not available for the average consumer because it is too expensive. Therefore, saffron is a nutritional and natural product, which gives the body important and beneficial nutrients, but because of how expensive, it is not affordable for everyone.
For centuries, before all these advanced technologies and medicines existed, saffron was uses as health beneficial product for people. A miracle of nature with an enticing aroma and exotic taste, saffron without doubt, was one of the spices Columbus was in search of during his trip of discovery. Historically it was so valuable that King Henry VIII of England, in the 16th century, condemned to death to those who adulterated it. In the article “Crunch” John Seabrook explains, “How price, rather then quality, became the determining factor, as growers and retailers engaged in a headlong race to see who could produce the largest yields and the lowest price of apples.” (56) The same is what have happened to the quality of saffron. Today, those days of King Henry are long past, and most of the saffron sold now is adulterated. The pure saffron is rarely found in the market, and where it is it can cost up to $2,000 per pound. Saffron is so precious that chefs are known to not employ wooden utensils in preparing a dish with saffron as an ingredient, fearing that it will be absorbed into the utensils. Most of the saffron American people use comes from Spain, India, and Afghanistan. Although Iran produces 90 percent of saffron in the world, because of the embargo is against USA law to buy saffron from Iran.
Saffron is a health beneficial product; modern medicinal research has established that this spice contains high amount of vitamins A and B, and increases oxidation. In the article “Saffron: the most precious spice in the world” by Habeeb Salloum, states that, “Saffron in ancient Greece was believed to be a sexual stimulant and was associated with fertility.” Although in the 16th century there was no advanced science, people knew the benefits saffron could contribute in their health. Especially for those people who were impotent or could not have babies. But the benefits of saffron do not stop there, it has been determined that, saffron to some extent, lowers cholesterol levels, eases numerous types of heart ailments, and inhibits cell growth by anti-cancer activity in tumor cells. It also helps in the digestion of food, relieves some stomach ailments and increases the appetite. However, too much saffron at one time can be