What Does Saffron Taste Like

As the most expensive spice in the world, your first question may be: What does saffron taste like? Given its price tag -- up to $2,700 per pound -- you may assume it’s sweet ambrosia. In fact, saffron is somewhat bitter.

The saffron crocus.

Taken from the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), saffron refers to the dried stigmas of the flower; and with each flower producing only three stigmas, you can imagine the volume needed to produce even one gram of the spice. Saffron can be purchased as pure "threads" or as powder.

That is the question. Used in cuisines throughout the world, saffron contributes not only flavor, but also visual pop. Though saffron threads are red, they diffuse into a golden yellow. For hundreds of years, the spice has been used as a coloring agent for garments and food dishes alike.

Taste is a subjective sense and thus, what one person experiences may be different for the next. Yet the consensus for saffron is that it possesses a honey-like taste. Some would say an earthy one, similar to hay. It also has a hint of bitterness, which if overused, could overwhelm a recipe.

Saffron adds a very distinct flavor and for some dishes, such as Spain's paella or Iran's chelow kabab, it is essential. It's a complementary spice used often for rice, risotto, and soups.

If someone should ask you "What does saffron taste like?", you could safely say that it's a mixture of sweet and bitter and that a pinch goes a long way. Indeed, for most recipes and concoctions, a pinch is all that's needed. As a rule, for a meal serving four to six people, a pinch of saffron should be enough.

Native to the Mediterranean, saffron is primarily cultivated today in Spain. In fact Spain and Iran together produce 80 percent of the world's harvest.

Since ancient times, saffron has been used in a variety of ways, thanks to its pungent aroma and one-of-a-kind flavor. It's believed that the Europeans were the first to use it as a spice. In its time, saffron has been used in:

• Perfumes: Ancient Romans used it in their baths
• Tints: For hair, as well as skin tone
• Dyes: For garments, a practice still done today
• Foods: Saffron remains a main ingredient for many recipes, such as Spanish rice, Italian risotto, and Swedish bread.
• Medicines: Believed to be an antidote for blood disorders and poisons; saffron as an herb is still used today in Ayurvedic medicines (India).

Cooking is a science, and while there's room for creativity in many dishes, for those that use saffron -- you'll need to follow the recipe precisely. The reason being is that saffron's bitter quality can overwhelm a dish if too much is used. The balance between its honey and bitter tastes is contained in a single pinch. If too much is added, your dish will be ruined and what's more, you will have wasted your precious spice. To get an idea of saffron possibilities, check out these recipes and videos:

• AllRecipes.com: Review various recipes, from Spanish cookery to Indian cuisine
• FamilyOven: Recipes include saffron rice, saffron potatoes, and saffron buns
• MyRecipes: Over 50 magazine recipes that make use of saffron
• A Baker's Odyssey: A how-to video on how to make saffronbrod (bread)
• MyRecipesTV: A video companion to the recipe for Almond-Saffron Cake

By far, saffron is the most expensive spice you'll find. Ever since the Phoenicians in sixth century BC, it has been a prized commodity. Today, a pound of saffron can cost anywhere from $800 to $3,000.

The reason for saffron's high cost is twofold:

1. Each flower produces only three stigmas or saffron threads.
2. Harvests are cultivated entirely by hand.

It takes an entire acre to produce one pound of saffron. What's more, the crop is a transient one, lasting only two to three weeks in autumn. To ensure the crop is fully harvested and the threads are dried in a timely manner (before mold and age set in), workers must labor around the clock, day and night.

To produce one pound of saffron, 210,000 stigmas are needed. That's 70,000 flowers -- each one plucked by hand. No other part of the flower can be included. With this said, a remarkable 300 tons of saffron are produced each year.

Store saffron in a cool, dry place.

As said, with a price tag like saffron, it's fortunate that a little goes a long way. When purchasing yours, be discerning to ensure you get the best quality. You'll want to look for crimson threads, while avoiding those that are dull, dark, or brick color. The darker the threads, the older the saffron. Another sign of age is brittleness.

Also, whenever possible, purchase full saffron threads. If a recipe calls for powder, you can always grind it up yourself. While saffron is widely available in powder form, it's more difficult to tell if it's pure or not. Since ancient times, saffron has been adulterated with other spices, such as safflower and the more bitter turmeric.

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