from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Saffron threads
The threads are the dried stigma where the flavor lies.
Photograph courtesy of Ane Lagerqvist
https://www.flickr.com/photos/anelagerqvist/3053671279/
Saffron’s color, aroma, and the taste that it imparts to certain dishes are unique; even the few who do not appreciate saffron’s taste will appreciate the exquisite golden hue with which saffron infuses the dishes with which it is prepared.
The saffron crocus.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/14646075@N03/5520426889/
What makes saffron so expensive?
Saffron comes from the flower called the saffron crocus, with some 150,000 flowers needed for one kilogram of dried saffron. Inside every flower, there are just three threads that come from the stigmas, which are the saffron spice. These threads can only be harvested by hand, and that single kilo comes from about half an acre of flowers. The threads range from orange to dark red and are taken from the heart of the flower, any yellow threads included are tasteless and worthless. France has always grown saffron, but every year more and more is imported; when French saffron is being used, you may be sure that it will be indicated on the menu. Spain was once France’s largest foreign supplier, but it is also now producing less; countries like Iran and Thailand produce more. Europe cannot compete with the cost of hand labor, and saffron remains the most expensive spice in the world.
Saffron on French Menus:
Filet de Maigre, Label Rouge, Émulsion au Safran des Ardennes - A filet of meagre, the fish, also called croaker or salmon bass, prepared with a thick sauce using saffron from the French Ardennes. The French department of the Ardennes is now part of the region of the Grand Est, previously the Champagne-Ardenne region. Just over the northern border is the region of the Belgian Ardennes, which is the site of the bloody Battle of the Bulge, which was the last German offensive in Europe in WWII. These are mostly farmed fish raised in huge open nets, with plenty of space, in the clear waters off the coast of Corsica. To achieve France's Label Rouge, its red label for quality, these fish are rated for their taste and raised in the absence of antibiotics and all other unwanted additives.
La Véritable Bouillabaisse – The authentic bouillabaisse. Do not order a hors d’oeuvre or an entrée if you are in a restaurant that serves traditional bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse is an enormous stew that includes at least four different fish prepared in a soup flavored with saffron. In a restaurant that wants to impress, it will be served in two different stages. Bouillabaisse is the most famous of all France’s saffron-flavored dishes.
A bouillabaisse
Photograph courtesy of nyaa_birdies_perch.
Noix de Saint-Jacques Poêlées, Beurre d'Agrumes et Safran – The meat of the king scallop lightly fried with a citrus butter and saffron sauce.
Moules au Safran et Frites - Mussels prepared in a broth flavored with saffron and served with French fries, in the UK chips.
Saffron flavored crème caramel.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/istelleinad/3994098438/
Pavé de Turbot au Safran: A thick cut of turbot, the fish, cooked with a saffron-based sauce.
Risotto d'Orge Perlé au Poireau et au Safran – A risotto made with pearled barley flavored with leeks and saffron. (Pearled barley is barley that has had its hull and bran removed).
Crème Brûlée au Safran - Crème Brûlée flavored with saffron.
When you buy saffron for your home, there should only be dark orange to deep reddish threads, no yellow mixed with the red. Neither should saffron be powdered or inexpensive; if you see discounted saffron, it probably is not pure saffron! The best saffron will cost over 8 Euros per gram in a retail store, and anything under 5 Euros per gram should be viewed with suspicion.
The history of Saffron
Despite most assumptions saffron did not originate in the Middle or Far East; botanists have determined that saffron developed on the Greek island of Crete.
For the history of saffron see the websites of Gernot Katzer, Gernot Katzer’s Spice-Pages, and Eric Schoenzetter’s, Toil'd'Épices. I use these two very knowledgeable individuals to check on all the information and misinformation on the history of herbs and spices that I collect along the way.
(Sadly, Eric Schoenzetter has passed and his website is no longer active).
Crocus Sativus
https://www.flickr.com/photos/32289838@N04/24756952439/
Saffron in the languages of France’s neighbors:
(Catalan - safrà), (Dutch - saffraan), (German – safran), (Italian – zafferano), (Spanish – azafrán).
Connected Posts:
Bouillabaisse and Bouillabaisse Marseillaise on French Menus and Links to Recipes for Bouillabaisse.
Behind the French Menu’s links include hundreds of words, names, and phrases found on French menus. Nearly 500 posts include over 4,000 French dishes with English translations and explanations. To find more articles like this one, simply add the word or words you are searching for to the words "Behind the French Menu" and search with Google or Bing.
