Safron plant. Royal spice from a gentle flower, or what is Saffron? Now the plant grows in

Shafran threads are painfully collected from the colors of the sowing saffron (lat. Crocus sativus), dried and sold. Saffron is considered the most expensive spice. Thanks to Shafran, the taste of many dishes becomes richer. It is also believed that Saffron is useful for health and beauty, however, there is no objective evidence.

Steps

Part 1

Shopping saffron

What fragrance to expect. Saffron has a tart, sour fragrance with small sweet floral stences. If you put too many saffron into the dish, then the taste can be bitter.

Shafran's aroma is similar to the aroma of Vanilla - he is sweet and musky. And Saffron, and Vanilla perfectly complement each other, but they are not so similar that they can be interconnected.
Often, instead of saffron use turmeric and safflower, so that the dish gains a similar color, but the fragrance is noticeably different.

Get what they paid for. Saffra collection is a very time-consuming and complex process, so if you want to buy high quality saffron, be prepared to spend a rather large amount of money.
- Before buying, check the quality of the saffron. A good saffron must consist of thin threads of the same size of a saturated red color with an orange mustache on one side and a tip in the shape of a pipe on the other. If the mustache is yellow, then saffron, most likely, real, but rather low quality.
- Strong fragrance of Saffran speaks of its high quality.
- The non-secrecy saffron most often consists of uneven small threads without a mustache, very often in packages with fake saffron you can see pieces of bark. This saffron has a weaker fragrance resembling a bark.
Buy whole saffron, not powder. Whole saffron in the threads has a stronger fragrance than powder. Gross saffron can be a good replacement for a whole saffron only if you can not find this spice, or it is too expensive.
- If you decide to buy saffron in powder, then buy it from the manufacturer to whom you trust. Less honest manufacturers in order to reduce the cost, often add other spices to the powder, for example, turmeric and paprika.
Keep saffron correctly. Saffron does not deteriorate, but he gradually loses his fragrance. Proper storage allows saffron fragrance longer.

Part 2
Saffron preparation
1. Heat Saffran Nights. Heating or "Frozing" of Saffra is another common way to remove the maximum fragrance from the spice. This is especially used in Palery's recipes.
  - Put a cast-iron skillet on the slab on the middle fire.
  - When the frying pan is warm, put on it saffron. Finger the filament of the saffron, constantly stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Saffron must reveal its fragrance and taste, but should not burn.
  - Slightly cool down and grind saffron threads - use mortar and pestle for this. The resulting crushed saffron can be pre-soaked or immediately add to the dish.
2. Grind and add right away. And although this is not the best way to add Saffran, you can still grind saffron and add it directly to the dish when cooking in those recipes where a large amount of liquid is used.
  - Note, if you use saffron in powder, it can be simply added directly to the dish without soaking.
Part 3.
Cooking with saffran
1. Use saffron in small quantities. In large quantities, saffron gives bitter taste. When cooking, it is necessary to use only a small amount of saffron.
2. Add saffron to desserts. Since the fragrance of saffron is something like a fragrance of vanilla, saffron can be added to many desserts in which vanilla is added. For example, saffron can be added to custard, confectionery and sweet bakery products.
  - If you are preparing a custard, add a scaffold pinch into a recipe for four portions.
  - If you add saffron when cooking confectionery or cookies, take 15-20 yarns for every 200 g of flour. Please note that the creamy oil is much better emphasized by the taste of saffron than margarine.
  - If you are preparing sweet bakery products, then add 15 shaffle threads for every 450 g of flour - so you will create a thin fragrance. If you want to get a more pronounced taste, you can add up to 60 threads to the above amount of flour.
3. Combine saffron with other flavors and flavors. If you want saffron to be the main taste of the dish, then do not use other spices, herbs or flavors. However, mixing with other spices, saffron can give a deide deeper fragrance.
  - If you add saffron to dishes with other spices and seasonings, add only a pinch. Add saffron as soon as possible so that the fragrance of the saffron is well mixed with other flavors and aromas.
  - Very often saffron combined with cinnamon, zila (cumin), almond, onions, garlic and vanilla.
  - If you are planning to add saffron to meat or vegetable dishes, then prefer easier (not having a very bright taste or aroma) types of meat and vegetables, for example, you can add saffron into a dish of chicken or cauliflower.

Each person at least once in his life heard of spices with the beautiful name of Saffron. This grass is the most expensive spice in the world, and her grass can only be called conditionally.

What makes a spice

In reality, Saffron is a stall of the famous crocus flower, but only a certain species. Crocus is a bulby plant with a height of about 15-20 cm. It blooms only two weeks for the entire period of flowering, and every bulb has two or three flowers during this time.

The crocus flower has only three stigs during flowering period, which look outwardly like three thin strings. First, in the period of mass flowering, the flowers are collected manually. Then it is also handled by hand all the flowers collected for the day on the same day, preventing damage to precious raw materials. To get only 0.5 kg of finished spices, it is necessary to process and dry 75 thousand flowers. This explains the very high price of the spice.

Places of Growing

Saffron is growing mainly in the countries of Southern Europe, in Iran, India, in the wild, it is almost impossible to meet it. The main supplier of saffron to the global market is Iran, it produces almost 90 percent of the total saffron.

Saffron itself has an orange-red color, so it is often confused or replaced with cheaper spices of the same color. This is turmeric, velvets or safflower. Saffron's fragrance thin with a floral tint, the taste of it reminds the taste of fresh bitter mountain honey.

Why the saffron is valued

First of all, for unique therapeutic properties and for dislike fragrance. Use in the preparation of a dish of only two or three rolls of saffron will give the dish with a beautiful yellow color and aroma. As a rule, saffron is used in cooking or in the form of powder, or in the form of the dried fish.

Highly qualified chefs prefer to use the strokes for their more resistant and fragrant smell and taste. Another of their reasons to choose exactly the still is the high probability of buying a low-quality powder. Unfair manufacturers can add not only low-grade raw materials into spices, but also starch, dyes, flavors and other fillers that have nothing to do with spices.

Use in cooking

Saffron is known worldwide, chefs in different parts of the globe use this spice in a wide variety of dishes. Often, the saffron is called the king of spices for the ability to give any dish unique color and aroma. In addition, Saffron plays the role of a peculiar preservative, since a dish cooked with saffron can keep freshness for several days. To spice longer to save its qualities, it is necessary to comply with the rules for its storage, namely:

store in a tightly closed opaque container;
choose a storage room with a temperature of no more than 20 degrees;
for long-term storage, you can confuse saffron to powder yourself or prepare a tincture on alcohol in a ratio of 1:10.

When preparing a dish with saffron first, it is pre-prepared, for this, the saffron is slightly roasted on a dry pan for a few seconds. Then it is mixed with a teaspoon of water or milk so that the fragrance revealed stronger.

If a hot dish is preparing, then the saffron is better to add 5 minutes to readiness. When the dough is kneading, the spice must be added at the very beginning of the kneading, to get a uniform golden color of the finished product.

Combination with other spices

The peculiarity of the spice is the poor taste of the combination with other spices, so saffron rarely enters the mixtures of spices and is used mainly as an independent ingredient.

Saffron applications in cooking a lot. These are soups and sauces, desserts, creams, ice cream, rice dishes (for example, risotto or pilaf), sweet pastries, marinades for fish dishes, different drinks, including liqueurs, and much more. Saffron can be an excellent replacement of artificial dyes in confectionery, in baking and drinks.

Dish recipes

It will take:

3 egg yolks;
0.5 glasses of white wine;
2-3 scaffold strokes;
1 teeth;
1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
salt, sugar to taste.

Beat yolks with white wine and saffron. Add crushed garlic and other ingredients. Once again, everything is good. The resulting sauce is ideal for any fish in boiled or stewed form.

Stewed cabbage with chicken groats

For cooking it is necessary:

0.5 kg of chicken stomachs and hearts;
head of cabbage;
1 bulb;
2 cloves of garlic;
3-4 scaffold strokes;
vegetable oil;
salt.

Chicken crumbs cut into large pieces and put out in a small amount of water for 25 minutes. At this time, prepare and cut vegetables. To almost finished bumbs add chopped onions and garlic, pepper and saffron. Save in a frying pan 5-7 minutes, add a cabbage, pour a glass of water or vegetable broth, salt and stew until readiness.

Cookies with saffranom

For cooking you need:

1.5 tbsp. flour;
0.75 tbsp. sugar sand or powder;
2 egg yolks;
4 tbsp. l. butter;
1 tbsp. l. Cognac or Roma;
3-4 saffron stilts.

Beat yolks with sugar, saffron pour cognac, give to stand a little and add to the egg mixture. To beat everything again. To the resulting mixture, add flour and soft oil and knead the unrocked dough. Separate the dough on small balls with a small plum size, put them on the baking sheet, pre-lubricated with vegetable oil, and shove each ball for a fork.

Bake in a pre-preheated oven for about 7-10 minutes. It turns out very tasty cookies of beautiful yellow-lemon color, for the preparation of which it took only 15 minutes.

Milan risotto

For cooking you will need:

350 g risa;
1 medium-sized bulbs;
100 g of butter;
150 g of dry white wine;
800 ml. meat broth;
100 g of parmesan;
3-4 scaffold strokes;
salt pepper.

Finely cut into the onions and fry in a skillet to transparency using half the butter. Add rice and sew on a small heat for two to three minutes. Pour white wine into the resulting mixture and wait until it is not absorbed in Fig. After that, gradually need to start adding broth. It is better to do this several times, adding each time a glass, waiting until the liquid is absorbed in Fig.

In the cooking process, it is necessary to constantly stir the rice and check its degree of readiness, it should not be strongly welded. In the last portion of the broth add saffron. When the rice will be ready, it is necessary to salt, pepper the dish to taste, add grated cheese and the remaining half of the butter. Stir and give to impregnate the dish for a few minutes.

In the article we tell what dishes they add saffron, how they make this spice, what is her aroma and taste. You will learn how to replace the saffron, how to choose the seasoning and distinguish it from fakes.

What does saffron look like, the taste and smell of seasoning

Saffron is the dried stalls of the purple sowing crocus. Crocus - bulbous plant without stem. Flowers and leaves grow out of the bulbs. Crocus flowers are quite large, they have gently - lilac, sometimes saturated purple color. From one bulb grows from 1 to 3 flowers in the form of a funnel.

Saffron is a crocus sowing

For the manufacture of seasonings, saffron now does not use wild crocus. It was replaced by specially derived varieties, which have larger flowers and long stigs. For the first time massively grow saffron began in Spain. In addition to Spain, the main suppliers of Saffran - India, Italy and Iran.

Crocus plantations are updated after 3-4 years. For the production of saffron, not the entire flower is used, but only a still. Crocus has only 3 stilts that collect in a special way in a short time. Growing, harvesting and drying saffron is a special and very laborious process.

Saffron is a red-brown thread or dark red with splashes yellow. The spices have a strong original fragrance. Saffron taste has a bitter, spicy, with a honey hint.

How to get saffron

Above, we said that Saffron makes from crocus stilts. Tell how the fragrant seasoning is obtained.

Crocus blooms once a year and only 2-3 days. As soon as the flower is revealed, it is broken and cut off the still. After that, the stigs are dried under the sun, in dryers or on fire. The slightest breach of technology or drying time strongly reduces the quality of seasoning. It is also important that the weather during the collection stood warm, dry and windless. Otherwise, raw materials can spoil. As soon as the saffron fits completely, it is cleaned into hermetic containers. There are several varieties of saffron, which determine its quality.

Saffron, which is grown in Spain, 2 types:

Coupe. For him, the most fragrant part of the fishing is the top.
Superior. For him, whole boxes of saffron are used, so the aroma and the taste of seasoning is not so bright.

Kashmir Saffron grows in the north of India. If in Spain, the saffron is dried in the stoves, then in India only in the sun. When saffron is assembled, it is sorted, they lower the stroke into the water. Those who sank to the bottom are considered the highest grade - Shahi.

The largest global supplier of Shafran - Iran. Iranian saffron differs from other species with a strong coloring effect and inexpensive price.

What dishes add saffron

Saffron used in cooking

Below will look at where to add saffron. Note that the saffron is poorly combined with other seasonings. Therefore, when you prepare the dishes and add saffron, do not add other spices.

Saffron is widely used in cooking. Add a bit of spice in the dough and it will acquire a yellowish color and a pleasant aroma. You can add saffron to desserts, creams and alcoholic cocktails. For the same purpose, the saffron is used in the manufacture of sausages and cheeses.

The original aroma and taste of Saffron gives dishes from rice. Add it to the pilaf, risotto, stewed meat, broth. European countries often add saffron to fish dishes. Well shadows saffron taste of vegetables and meat.

How to distinguish real saffron from fake

Saffron - one of the most expensive seasonings, because of this, the likelihood of buying a spice, which only looks like it. Let's wonder how to find out the real saffron or not.

For Saffron, velvets or Imeretic saffron are often issued. This spice is yellow-red. Ryns of high-quality saffron have a dark red or red-brown color, on the touch they are soft. Pay attention to the price of spices. If you are offered a real saffron to buy cheap, most likely it is a fake.

Also, under the guise of Shafran, the petals of Saflore are sold - "Mexican Saffron". It is often used for painting caramels or tea mixtures. In some countries, it is used instead of saffron.

Another spice that can be sold under the guise of Saffran is the ground root of turmeric. It is difficult to distinguish ground saffron from velvets, safflower or turmeric.

To avoid fakes:

Buy saffron only in the stilts.
Pay attention to the shape of the stroke, it should look like a drop-down tube with a gear top edge.
Pay attention to the color and smell. Safran has a bitter-spicy fragrance.
Do not forget - it costs cheap chantran.

Where to buy saffron

Buy saffron in specialized stores that can provide you for spice documents. They should contain a manufacturing country. Main countries - Saffran Suppliers: Iran, Spain and India. We do not recommend buying saffron in the markets, as it is high risk to acquire a fake.

What can replace saffron in dishes

Since it is difficult to buy a real saffron and not for everyone to pocket, consider how you can replace this spice.

Saffron can be replaced with turmeric, it also gives dishes a pleasant yellowish color and spicy taste. Imeretin saffron or dried velvets can also be a spices substitute.

Read more about Shafran in Cooking See in Video:

Contraindications

Saffron has a number of contraindications. Especially carefully choose its dosage. Usually grabs 2-4 rolls of saffron. In large quantities, saffron poisonous. In large dosages, it causes nervous excitement. A year can not be eaten more than 1 gram of saffron.

Contraindications:

pregnancy;
high pressure;
diabetes;
cardiovascular diseases.

What to remember

Saffron is obtained from dried sowing crocus stilts.
Spices have a strong original aroma and bitter spicy taste.
Main countries - Shafran manufacturers - Iran, Spain, Italy and India.
Saffron is added to meat, vegetable dishes. In cooking, use to give a beautiful color with baking, add to creams and desserts.
Be careful when buying a saffron, since it is often formed. Buy it only in the threads. Pay attention to the shape of the spice, color and flavor of spices.
Replace the saffron in dishes can be turmeric, Saflower petals or Imereti saffron - veletz petals.
Observe the dosage. Saffron in large quantities is dangerous.
Remember the contraindications.

Saffron - spice known mankind more than 4000 years. It is called often red gold, for a high cost, which has not decreased since the Middle Ages.

The name of the spices is like the Arabic word "Za'Faran", which in the translation means "yellow" and testifies to the widespread use of this spice as a dye. Today, the saffron is used mainly only in cooking, and its price is on a par with the price of gold, because for the year it produces no more than 300 tons all over the world.

General about the seasoning saffron

The first traces of the use of saffron were found in the composition of the paints for the rock painting of the neolithic period. In Mesopotamia, the food was used in Mesopotamia, and the peards were made on the basis of saffron aromatic oils and perfume with the properties of aphrodisiacs, and also woven saffron threads in the fabrics for sacrifice.

Saffron is widely used for medical purposes. So, for the treatment of wounds, he was used in the army of Alexander Macedonian. Romans, in addition to use in the form of medication, used as spice and dye for the skin and tissues.

Evidence of the high value of saffron in antiquity is his mention even in the Old Testament, as incense, dye and element of sacrifices. In the east, Buddhist monks used saffron for coloring clothes.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the interest in Saffran was almost disappeared, but revived only during the Middle Ages. In Europe, the spice was a sign of a high position in society and great wealth. At the courtyards there was very fashionable clothes and shoes painted with saffron. And Heinrich VIII even forbade his court to use this dye to alone all over them.

Flowers of saffron, better known as crocuses, were used in Heraldry of Bourbon. There is even a town in the English County Essex called Safron in honor of the spice, which brought a large income into the treasury of the state.

Split saffron

The Spaniards turned out to be the most "chest" and first began to grow crocus for the production of saffron for export. And today, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Andalusia are the owners of the largest plantations of this plant.

Also, the cultivation and production of saffron is widespread in Italy, France, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Greece, China, New Zealand, Japan, USA and Transcaucasian states. It is noticed that in those countries where this spice in food is widely used, the diseases of the heart and vessels are much less likely.

Noteworthy is the fact that, depending on the place of production, the taste qualities and the properties of the saffron are distinguished. The most valuable and dear Spanish saffron, as it has the richest aroma and rich taste.

But the Indian and Greek saffron can "boast" the longest shelf life. The spice produced in Italy is characterized by a sharp odor and strong taste. The cheapest is saffron produced in Iran.

Saffron Growing at home

The high cost of saffron is explained by two main reasons:

Labor complexity.
Incomparable taste, aroma and medical properties.

Saffron is a dry fracture of purple or sowing crocus flowers (Crocus sativus). This plant blooms once a year for 2-3 days. Collect flowers on the first day of flowering at dawn and manually manually.

The weather should be dry and windless. The stilts from the collected colors pluck everything is also manually and dried quickly under the sun, on fire or in special dryers. The quality of spices directly depends on the speed of its collection and drying.

To obtain 1 kilogram of the spice, a strait of hundreds of thousands of Saffran flowers is necessary. In the first year, the plantation of these colors can give a yield with 1 hectare of no more than 5-6 kilograms, in the following - in the region of 20 kilograms. At the same time, plantations must be updated every 3-4 years, since the period of life of these plants is small enough. Swimmed by saffron division of bulbs.

Saffron beneficial properties

On the unique action of saffron on the human body is also known from the ancient. Under its action, serotonin is produced in the body, more known as "hormone of happiness".

This explains his ability to save from pain, melancholy and depression. Once than the women of noble origin took the chaffran tincture for childhood anesthesia. And, well-known, Cleopatra took baths with saffron to preserve the youth and excellent skin.

In the Auverde Shafran is useful to everyone. The spice has a toning effect and improves the nutrition of the cells of the whole organism, and especially blood, plasma and nerve cells. Due to the liner, painful and reducing action, Saffron found an application in treating more than 90 diseases.

It contributes to the normalization of digestion, strengthening the organs of the respiratory system and the senses, increase the potency, normalization of the menstrual cycle. It is also used for infertility, neuralgia, heart disease, cramps, for cleansing the kidneys, liver and lymphs and, even, to improve the color of the face.

Modern medicine uses saffron and its beneficial properties for the manufacture of various tinctures, tinctures and eye drops. Antimutage and anticarcinogenic properties of crocus were installed. When applying a powder with milk saffron, the memory improves and the growth of brain tissues is stimulated, and in a mixture with honey, it helps crushing stones in the kidneys.

All the beneficial properties of saffron are caused by the richest composition. So the spices are containing thiamine, saffranol, syneol, pinole, pinen, glycosides, riboflavin, flavonoids, fatty oils, gum, phosphorus, calcium and vitamins. And yellow staining provides carotenoids, glycoside of crocine, liqueur and beta-carotene.

Found its use Saffron and folk medicine. The grafs on its basis helps to remove the headache and save from insomnia. The spice is able to reduce the feeling of hunger and get rid of the hangover syndrome, but adopted together with alcohol contributes to the strongest intoxication.

It is necessary to remember that the saffron is quite a potent means, an excess of which can lead to poisoning, and several grams of fresh - fatal outcome. Due to the strong toning action, its use in childhood and during pregnancy is contraindicated.

Appearance and selection of saffron

Saffron has the form of red-brown or dark-red confined threads with yellowish splashes. One thread is able to give the dish a special exquisite aroma and a specific sweet-sharp-bitty taste.

It is recommended to buy saffron in the form of threads, since they are more difficult to fake than powder. However, their "folk craftsmen" learned to fake, selling under the guise of a thinly chopped painted paper. And under the guise of Saffran powder, they often sell turmeric, crushed dried calendula flowers or in general the powder of unknown origin. Once for such "tricks", cunning scebsli.

It is not worth buying too pale or non-maritious spice, because it is a sign of long or improper storage, in which all useful properties have lost.

Self try to prepare the stilts either should not. Very often, crocus sowing confused with a lack of autumn, which is a poisonous plant.

Saffron beneficial properties and use in cooking

Saffron gives dishes golden color, unique aroma and delightful spicy taste. The most common use of South European and Middle Eastern countries is the most common. There it is added to dishes from rice, meat, seafood, fish and when preparing transparent soups.

In the Mediterranean cuisine, the spice is widely used in the preparation of various sauces and soups. Worldwide, saffron add to cupcakes, cookies, creams, cakes, cakes, jelly, mousses.

Add gold spice and on non-alcoholic drinks, coffee and tea.

When using saffron, it is necessary to take into account that this spice is self-sufficient and is badly combined with the rest.

Recipes with saffran

Sausages stew with saffron

Ingredients:

Saffron - 2 threads,
sausage - 2 pcs.,
olive oil - 2 tbsp. spoons
onion - 100 g,
garlic - 1 teeth,
potatoes - 2 pcs.,
chicken broth - 200 ml,
green peas - 50 g,
salt to taste
pepper - to taste.

Cooking:

Saffron swollen in a spoonful of water. The sausages are cut, roasting on a weak heat and lay out on a plate.

The onions are cleaned, finely bold and fry 2-3 minutes, then peeled and crushed garlic add to it and fried for another minute.

Potatoes are cleaned, cut and add to roasting to bows with garlic for 5-6 minutes. Broth, infusion of saffron, are added to the roasted vegetables, bring to boil and extinguished until potatoes are ready.

Sorry, polka dots are added, solid and pepper and continue to stew more minutes 2-3.

Haltus with saffron stew

Ingredients:

Saffron - 1 thread,
fillet halotus - 500 g,
flour - 30 g,
olive oil - 30 ml,
pepper Bulgarian - 2 pcs.,
onion - 1 pc.,
garlic - 1 teeth,
tomato - 1 pc.,
parsley - 1 h. spoon,
salt and pepper - to taste.

Cooking:

Cut pre-washed vegetables. Saffron swollen in a minor amount of warm water.

Salta fillet salute, pepper, cut into flour and fry from both sides in olive oil. Further shifting into a saucepan and put it in the oven for 10 minutes.

At this time, roasted onions, peppers, garlic, tomatoes and parsley for 5 minutes. Saffron with infusion is added to vegetables and extinguished on low heat for 10 minutes. Stew vegetables are solid, pepper and served with a halotus.

Golden Pie

Ingredients:

Saffron - 4-5 threads,
milk - 60-70 ml (applied separately),
creamy butter - 1 h. spoon,
flour - 130-140 g,
sugar - 130-140 g (applied separately),
powder Bakers - 1 h. spoon,
soda - 0.5 h. spoons,
egg - 1 pc.,
pink water - 2 h. spoons,
vanilla - 1 h. spoon (applied separately)
water - 70 ml,
crushed pistachios - 2-3 h. spoons.

Cooking:

In a small saucepan, the saffron is poured with 2 tablespoons of milk, bring to a boil and allow to cool. Large tanks are used for mixing flour, bakery powder, soda and 100 g of sugar.

The remaining milk, pink water, egg, ½ spoons of vanilla are added to the milk with saffron, and poured into a flour mixture, stirring continuously.

The baking sheet is lubricated with oil and pour the resulting dough on it. Put in advance preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Baked pie is allowed to cool for about 5 minutes.

At this time, the remaining sugar in water dissolve, boil it and add vanilla. A wooden wand make several deepening in the center of the cake, poured with syrup and sprinkle with pistachios.

Curd dessert with saffron (Easter)

Ingredients:

Saffron - 10 threads,
cottage cheese home (fat) - 2 kg,
yolks - 10 pcs.,
sugar - 200 g,
creamy butter - 300 g,
sour cream (fat) - 50 g,
raisin - 200 g,
tsukata or dried fruits - 100 g,
almonds crushed - 200 g,
pistachios crumpled unsalted - 100 g,
cognac - 50 g

Cooking:

Cottage cheese placed in gauze, put on a colander supplied over deep-capacity. The oppression is put on top and "forget" for 10-12 hours.

Pressing cottage cheese wipe through a sieve. Dried fruits and raisins are poured by 3 hours. Oil whipped by adding sugar. When it burns, without stopping stirring, yolks and sour cream are introduced. The resulting mass is stirred with overcrowded curd, dried fruits and nuts, leaving a little for the decoration. Saffron is thoroughly triturated and added to the previously obtained mixture.

Easter is laid out on a dish, covered with gauze, and placed in the refrigerator. 2 hours before filing, the dessert from the refrigerator takes out the table and decorate.

This dessert from cottage cheese must be prepared 2-3 days before the holiday so that he will have to stand.

Crocuses can be frequently found on household plots. However, their species needed to obtain a spice. Saffron is grown mainly in the territory of Minor Asia. How about the most expensive seasoning of the world they say not without reason: to assemble 1 kg of edible columns, you need up to 150 thousand colors! Its price can reach up to 10 thousand dollars.

Application of saffron in cooking

Seasoning has a slightly metallic taste with honey notes. It perfectly copes with the task of imparting a unique taste and colors of soups, sauces and rice dishes. Fig, prepared with the addition of saffron is a symbol of Spanish and Indian cuisine. It is also used by the French in, Italians - in, and even the Swedes - in their famous shafrana bunsthat are submitted for Christmas. Saffron is also perfectly combined with meat and vegetables. Hinduses use seasoning in a confectionery case, and especially in dairy products, such as kulfi or Lassi. High price spices makes many chefs mix it with turmeric. There is no difference between them in color, but the tastes are completely different.

Not easy fate of Saffron

Before saffron falls on the store shelves, he must go a long way. The largest producer of spices is Iran. It is believed that its share accounts for 90 percent of world production. The second largest manufacturer is Afghanistan. However, countries covered by military conflicts cannot freely dispose of spice reserves. In 1987, US President Ronald Reagan imposed a ban on the import of goods from Iran. There was a belief that the revenues from the sale of seasonings will go to armared terrorists. Saffron trade is often illegal. It is taken out of the country in suitcases like drugs. Due to American sanctions, Spain became an intermediary on sale.

Symbol of fertility

In the ancient crocus symbolized fertility. It was believed that he helps during menstruation. To this end, women were attached flowers to the belt, which was worn on the hips. The flower influenced both men: the use of saffron was called enhance their sexual potency. On the Minoan frescoes crocuses decorate the bogins. In Greek mythology, a young man was turned into this flower, the Smilax fell in love with his nymph.

Persian treasure

Saffron actively used Persians. They used it as a dye for fabrics, ingredient perfumery, medicines and bath liquids.

The spice was considered excellent a tool from melancholy. For this purpose, the threads of Saffran laid out in bed or brewed tea. He was also used as an assistant in poisoning and even treated them. Persian Saffron served Alexander Great during his Asian expeditions as vanny additives And he was called to heal the battle wounds. It is believed that it was thanks to this ruler Safran got to Greece.

Unusual medicine

According to some modern researchers, the carotenoids contained in the saffron have an anti-cancer effect. They are an antioxidant, and this means that seasoning can neutralize the effect of free radicals. The spice helps solve problems with gas formation in the intestine, stimulates blood circulation. In the past, with the help of saffron, not only external wounds were treated, but also problems with stomach, arthritis, menstrual disorders and infant colic.

How to choose and store

Quality products have a bright color of red or dark orange shades. The low cost of the spice should be alarmed - the price with a discount most often has products of low quality.
Keep saffron in a sealed container in a cool, dry place. Best of all, if you use it for a year after purchase, because with long-term storage, with time, taste and color can deteriorate.

Grind and supervise saffron in hot water or broth (15-30 minutes), then bring the fluid to the volume specified in the recipe of the erased eaten. Water should absorb the full taste of Saffra, and he himself will deteriorate as a result, having transferred his kel of the fluid.

It is possible to soak in a heated dry white wine a few hours before the start of cooking.

Saffron powder does not require soaking, it is more concentrated, it costs it less to dishes. However, the question of soaking the powder is disposed and depends on the dish, therefore, having met such an indication in the recipe, do not be surprised.

An optional use of saffron together with almonds, apples, cheese, grain dishes. Saffron is harmoniously combined with cinnamon, rosemary, thyme. The main thing is not to overdo it with other spices, it distorts the unique fragrance of Saffran. For this reason, shaffle with pepper share should be avoided.

Try cashmere tea, which is prepared by boiling 4 glasses of water and whisper of saffron. Sugar is added to taste.