SAFFRON - A Natural Healer for Eyesight, Cancer and Anxiety
Introduction: Hand-harvested each autumn from special crocus flowers, saffron is the world's most expensive spice. But saffron's myriad of uses - to enhance cooking and to promote good health - more than justify its hefty price tag.
History: Saffron has been used for thousands of years - to dye fabric and as a perfume, as well as for culinary and medicinal purposes. Records detailing its use date back to Roman and ancient Egyptian times.
Production: Both labour intensive and time consuming, the production of saffron has changed very little since ancient times. Each saffron crocus produces three stigmas and these stigmas must be individually handpicked when the flowers are fully open. 150,000 flowers are needed for every kilogram of saffron. Although ground saffron is also available, for the highest quality saffron, the stigmas are simply dried before being packaged as whole strands.
Therapeutic Uses: The therapeutic use of saffron, to treat a wide variety of health conditions, is becoming much more widely acknowledged. Infused in milk, saffron is a safe and soothing home remedy. Historically, the spice has been used as a folk cure for complaints ranging in severity from insomnia to the bubonic plague. But recent reports from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center confirm the efficacy of saffron as an anti-depressant. Scientists in Australia are calling saffron "nature's sunglasses" after research found it could protect eyesight from sun-damage while their Canadian counterparts are discovering saffron's ability to improve human sexual function.
Culinary Uses: Saffron has a distinct flavour and aroma; its warm earthiness combined with its fragrant sweetness adds depth, richness and complexity to both sweet and savoury recipes. The spice's vibrantly-coloured strands lend the characteristic saffron-yellow colour to a wide variety of dishes - from familiar dishes like Spanish paella to the more exotic Persian lamb with saffron rice.
Saffron - The Exquisite Range: "Saffron is an incredibly versatile and very natural product. Meeting regularly with our growers and carefully selecting the choicest blooms make us confident that saffron from The Exquisite Range is of the very highest quality." Indeed, as the product exceeds ISO requirements for Grade 1 of the spice, its exceptional quality and appealing, up-market packaging make it worth every penny of its very expensive price.
