saffron.

my stepdad was a foodie. he just loved food and built his career around it. when he passed away, my mom pulled out a big metal box full of saffron. my sister, brother and i kinda split it up. we now have a lot. i think he got it while traveling..somewhere. cant keep track of my parents travels..not when he got sick..they went everywhere.

i am admittely hoarding it. yesterday, i got some instructions from my neighbors on how to grill Persian chicken. it needed saffron. it blows me away how it smells when you steep it.

how would you even describe the flavor or smell? i cant put it into words. any help with the word-smiths around here?

Floral.

Musty honey

I just read a Suzanne Goin recipe that calls for the threads to be toasted in a dry pan before steeping in (if I remember right) oil. Anyone try this?

There are metallic overtones.

77kath said:

There are metallic overtones.

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^^pretty good!!

i almost detect an ozone-y smell..almost bandaide-y. hahah.

expensive?

Dardeau said:

I just read a Suzanne Goin recipe that calls for the threads to be toasted in a dry pan before steeping in (if I remember right) oil. Anyone try this?

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Yup. I do this all the time.

bouillabaisse, toasted saffron and finished with Pernod....................why do i read these threads, just make myself hungry :cheffry:

ChefJimbo said:

bouillabaisse, toasted saffron and finished with Pernod....................why do i read these threads, just make myself hungry :cheffry:

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So true. Like

Iranian rice (tah dig) is the natural home of saffron. Also mughlai korma. Also fabulous in Middle eastern orange cakes which use whole oranges (peel and all).

For a more Western take on the spice, try a milky saffron bun. A childish sort of pleasure for a winter weekend.

speaking of saffron...

[video=youtube;QMkz8x0iOa4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMkz8x0iOa4[/video]

pretty difficult to describe the smell/taste..huh?

Iodine, earthy with a hint of flowers. Make paella

sachem allison said:

Iodine, earthy with a hint of flowers. Make paella

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iodine!! that's it!!

so much better than my band aidy description.

Anyone ever try the saffron from Thailand? It is like $10.00 a kilo there, huge plastic bags in all the markets. I asked an instructor about it and he said it wasn't as good of quality as the Spanish stuff "but what the heck, just use a little more!" Given its size, the last bag I bought has lasted me for several years. I brought another bag home last March for a friend and I certainly haven't heard any complaints about it in her cooking.

Noodle Soup said:

Anyone ever try the saffron from Thailand? It is like $10.00 a kilo there, huge plastic bags in all the markets. I asked an instructor about it and he said it wasn't as good of quality as the Spanish stuff "but what the heck, just use a little more!" Given its size, the last bag I bought has lasted me for several years. I brought another bag home last March for a friend and I certainly haven't heard any complaints about it in her cooking.

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I believe what they sell as "saffron" in Thailand is usually safflower. Saffron is the stigma from a Crocus flower, safflower is petals from the safflower flower. There is a substantial difference in price.

If you grow spring flowering crocuses, on a sunny day the air will smell of saffron. Saffron crocuses bloom in the fall and the spring flowering type don't have threads, but they smell good.

I know about the fall crocuses and have gathered very small amounts from our flower beds. As for the Thai, it looks and smells about the same as the very expensive U.S type. Might not be the same but I think it works for a substitute.

For what it is worth, I used to mostly buy my saffron from The Spanish Table in Seattle. It tended to be a little cheaper and larger quantity that the jars at the local food stores. Now you have me wondering if I was using safflower all along.

I know some people adamantly say safflower cannot be used as a substitute for saffron, but in certain circumstances it can work. Safflower definitely brings floral notes to dishes but that floral-note is definitely not the same as saffron. Plus it doesn't take to heat like saffron can.

I have heard that in Northern Indian/Pakistan, even when dishes call for saffron, they actually mean safflower.

Noodle Soup said:

Anyone ever try the saffron from Thailand? It is like $10.00 a kilo there, huge plastic bags in all the markets. I asked an instructor about it and he said it wasn't as good of quality as the Spanish stuff "but what the heck, just use a little more!" Given its size, the last bag I bought has lasted me for several years. I brought another bag home last March for a friend and I certainly haven't heard any complaints about it in her cooking.

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I've used it lady friend brought a large batch from Thailand need quite a bit to get taste. I like the Kiva Premium La Mancha Spanish Saffron. Soaking or toasting good flavor with just a small amount. 3 grams is a reasonable price.

JohnF said:

I know some people adamantly say safflower cannot be used as a substitute for saffron, but in certain circumstances it can work. Safflower definitely brings floral notes to dishes but that floral-note is definitely not the same as saffron. Plus it doesn't take to heat like saffron can.

I have heard that in Northern Indian/Pakistan, even when dishes call for saffron, they actually mean safflower.

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And my friend I brought the bag home from Thailand for this year is Indian. Might explain why she was very happy with it.

Rayuela said:

Iranian rice (tah dig) is the natural home of saffron. Also mughlai korma. Also fabulous in Middle eastern orange cakes which use whole oranges (peel and all).

For a more Western take on the spice, try a milky saffron bun. A childish sort of pleasure for a winter weekend.

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Those orange cakes sound good. I like middle eastern food.

Try Vanilla-Saffron imports.com

Got our bulbs from White Farm yesterday, so hopefully we'll get them in the ground soon and corner the saffron market in 2016. Looking forward to trying some of the suggestions.