SAFFRON: the most expensive spice in the world
This spice is unique, combining delectable taste with considerable health benefits. Its production process is highly time and effort consuming, but the flavor and beneficial properties of saffron are unequaled by any other spice.
What is Saffron?
The Crocus Sativus or Saffron Crocus, blooms in the Fall with purple petals, yellow stamens and a three-part red-orange stigma that becomes the saffron strands. Because it is incapable of producing viable seeds, it needs our help to reproduce in volume. It has a bulb-like corm which must be very carefully and painstakingly dug up, broken into individual bulbs and replanted by hand.
Since ancient times, some say 500,000 years ago, we have loved the humble Crocus Sativus. It originated in Greece, where it was revered for its medicinal properties. People would eat saffron to enhance libido, boost mood, and improve memory.
Where does it come from?
Most genuine saffron comes nowadays from Iran, Afghanistan, India, Spain, Morocco, and Italy.
A pound of saffron (450 grams) sells anywhere from $500 to $5000. Growing saffron to make money is fairly straightforward, although labor-intensive, as a pound of the golden-red threads requires the hand-harvesting and processing of 75,000 blossoms! The reason for the expensive price is its labor-intensive harvesting by hand method, making the production costly.
After serving in Afghanistan, Keith Alaniz and two other American veterans decided to establish a social enterprise based on a crop that could offer locals better returns than illegal opium poppy cultivation. Their company, Rumi Spice, buys saffron crocuses from local growers and employs 380 Afghan women to do the painstaking work of separating the tiny rust-red stigmas in the centre of the crocus from its petals, stamens and the rest of the flower head, prior to being dried and packed for export. Those long laborious hours of work makes saffron very expensive. Rumi Spice sells its high grade saffron for $18 per gram.
How is saffron being used?
Cleopatra used it to infuse her bathwater.
Alexander the Great bathed his battle wounds with it and drank saffron tea.
In the 14th Century it was used to combat bubonic plague.
It is a key ingredient in dishes from Spanish paella, to Persian rice dishes and Indian curries.
It is added to products from coffee to salt, skin creams to shampoos.
Saffron has been used in traditional medicine to treat menstrual problems, depression, asthma as well as sexual dysfunction.
Is saffron good for you?
1. It is a Powerful Antioxidant
A variety of plant compounds found in saffron act as antioxidants which protect your cells against free radicals and oxidative stress. Some of these antioxidant compounds include crocin, crocetin, safranal, and kaempferol. Crocin and crocetin are carotenoid pigments which are responsible for saffron’s red color. Both compounds may have antidepressant properties, protect brain cells against progressive damage, improve inflammation, reduce appetite, and aid weight loss.
Safranal gives saffron its distinct taste and aroma and may help improve your mood, memory, and learning ability, as well as protect your brain cells against oxidative stress. Kaempferol is found in saffron flower petals and has been linked to health benefits, such as reduced inflammation, anticancer properties, and antidepressant activity.
2. It May Improve Mood and Treat Depressive Symptoms
Saffron is nicknamed the “sunshine spice,” not just because of its sunny color, but also because it may help cheer up your mood. In a review of five studies, saffron supplements were significantly more effective than placebos at treating symptoms of mild-to-moderate depression (STUDY).
Other studies found that taking 30 mg of saffron daily was just as effective as Fluoxetine, Imipramine, and Citalopram — conventional treatments for depression. Additionally, fewer people experienced side effects from saffron compared to other treatments (STUDY). Both the saffron petals and thread-like stigma appear to be effective against mild-to-moderate depression (STUDY) (STUDY).
3. It May Have Cancer-Fighting Properties
Saffron is high in antioxidants, which help neutralize harmful free radicals. Free radical damage has been linked to chronic diseases, such as cancer. In test-tube studies, saffron and its compounds have been shown to selectively kill colon cancer cells or suppress their growth, while leaving normal cells unharmed (STUDY). This effect also applies to skin, bone marrow, prostate, lung, breast, cervix, and several other cancer cells (STUDY).
4. It May Reduce PMS Symptoms
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a term that describes physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms occurring before the start of a menstrual period. In women 20–45 years of age, taking 30 mg of saffron daily was more effective than a placebo at treating PMS symptoms, such as irritability, headaches, cravings, and pain (STUDY).
Another study found that simply smelling saffron for 20 minutes helped reduce PMS symptoms like anxiety and lowered levels of the stress hormone cortisol (STUDY).
5. It May Act as an Aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiacs are foods or supplements that help boost your libido. Studies have shown that saffron may have aphrodisiac properties, especially in people taking antidepressants. Taking 30 mg of saffron daily over four weeks significantly improved erectile function over a placebo in men with antidepressant-related erectile dysfunction (STUDY).
In women with low sexual desire due to taking antidepressants, 30 mg of saffron daily over four weeks reduced sex-related pain and increased sexual desire and lubrication, compared to a placebo (STUDY).
6. It May Reduce Appetite and Aid Weight Loss
According to research, saffron may help curb your appetite. In one eight-week study, women taking saffron supplements felt significantly more full, snacked less frequently, and lost significantly more weight than women in the placebo group (STUDY).
In another eight-week study, taking a saffron extract supplement helped significantly reduce appetite, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and total fat mass (STUDY).
7. Other Potential Health Benefits
Saffron has been linked to other health benefits that have not yet been extensively studied, such as reduced risk of heart disease; lowering of blood sugar levels; improved eyesight and memory.
How do you eat saffron?
In small doses, saffron has a subtle taste and aroma and pairs well with savory dishes, such as paella, risottos, and other rice dishes. For the best flavour, soak the threads in hot, but not boiling, water. Add the threads and the liquid to your recipe to achieve a deeper, richer flavor. You will only need a pinch-a little goes a long way.
Saffron is also available in supplement form.
Saffron is generally safe with little to no side effects. In standard cooking amounts, saffron does not appear to cause adverse effects in humans. As a dietary supplement, people can safely take up to 1.5 grams of saffron per day. However, only 30 mg of saffron per day have been shown to be enough to reap its health benefits (STUDY).
Alternatively, high doses of 5 grams or more can have toxic effects.
Pregnant women should avoid high doses, as it may cause miscarriage (STUDY).
As with any supplement, speak to your doctor before taking saffron in supplement form.
Because the cost of manufacturing saffron is high, many producers will adulterate it with other ingredients such as beet, red-dyed silk fibers, turmeric and paprika to cut the cost. It is important to purchase saffron from a reputable brand to ensure you get an authentic product.
How to check if saffron is genuine
· Check that it has strands which are frayed at one end
· Look for a deep red hue that colours water orangey-yellow when submerged
· Smell it and put it on your tongue - fake saffron has very little aroma or flavour
· Real saffron will smell slightly fruity and floral
· It should taste sweet and bitter at the same time
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