What is saffron?
Q: What is saffron?
A: Saffron is a spice made from the stigma of the flower of the saffron plant. It is native to Southwest Asia and has a bitter taste and smells like hay.
Q: How does saffron smell?
A: Saffron has a smell like hay, which is caused by the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal.
Q: What colour does saffron give food?
A: Saffron gives food a rich golden colour due to its dye, crocin.
Q: Where does the word 'saffron' come from?
A: The word 'saffron' comes from the 12th century Old French word safran, which comes from the Latin word safranum. Safranum is also related to the Italian zafferano and Spanish azafrán, which all come from Arabic DIN (أَصْفَر), meaning "yellow".
Q: Is saffron used in cooking or medicine?
A: Both! Saffron is used in cooking as a seasoning and as a food colouring, but it can also be used in medicine.
Q: How long has saffron been considered one of the world's most costly spices?
A: For a very long time - centuries!
