"saffron" news and stories

Saffron Cupcakes - Feast Your Eyes

by Nanette Maxim, Posted Jul 15th 2010 @ 10:00AM

saffron cupcake Photo: norwichnuts, Flickr

With a warm, exotic note of saffron, filled with a blend of fruit and topped with buttercream icing, golden raspberries and pistachio nuts, this cupcake is as fresh and golden as morning light. Oh, and it's vegan, so blogger norwichnuts created this cupcake recipe with margarine instead of butter.

Saffron is not a spice to go crazy with; just a teaspoon of the threads is more than enough to give the cupcakes an earthy undertone. Too much and they'll be bitter. Fun fact: The stamens from about 150 flowers (the Crocus sativus) are hand-harvested to produce just .035 ounces of saffron. So do it proud.

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Filed under: Feast Your Eyes

Spice ID Quiz

COMMENTS 0

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 1st 2009 @ 1:33PM

Know your fennel from fenugreek? Coriander from cardamom? It's the spiciest quiz ever from Slashfood.

Spice ID Quiz

Both leaves and seeds of this plant are employed as seasoning in Indian food, and the seeds are used to flavor artificial maple syrup.

Sarsaparilla
Nigella
Fenugreek
Carom

It just wouldn't be real rye bread without...

Caraway
Fennel Seed
Poppy
Cumin

The signature herb overtone of gin is...

Galangal
Fennel
Pimento
Juniper Berries

The leaves of this plant are snipped and used as the herb cilantro, but the seeds are a seasoning known as...

Cumin
Coriander
Cardamom
Curry

This spice is the inside part of the Myristica tree seed -- not to mention darned tasty in baked goods and sprinkled on winter beverages.

Mace
Cumin
Nutmeg
Ground Allspice

This wee, nutty spice is smashing on a roll or paired with a tart lemon pastry

Allspice
Poppy Seeds
Cardamom
Mustard Seed

These long, cured pods, often used to flavor desserts, are members of the orchid family.

Vanilla Beans
Cardamom
Saffron
Galangal

This strikingly-shaped fruit is a core element in Chinese five-spice.

Sumac
Galangal
Telicherry
Star Anise

This spice, made by grinding dried berries, adds a lemony taste to juice and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Mahlab
Fenugreek
Rue
Sumac

This Indian spice is valued as much for its vibrant hue as it is for its flavoring properties.

Turmeric
Ras al Hanout
Ginger
Asafoetida

This spice is often cited as the most expensive on the market, due to the difficulty of harvesting it.

Grains of Paradise
Sassafras
Mahlab
Saffron

These dried berries are, monetarily speaking, the most traded spice on the planet.

Mustard
Cardamom
Black Pepper
Cumin

Remember the previously mentioned Myristica tree seed? This is the outside seed casing, all ground up.

Mace
Galangal
Ginger
Camphor

We're awfully sorry that we can't present this quiz in Smell-O-Vision, but still we must ask -- can you identify this common ground-bark spice by sight alone?

Mace
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Allspice

The green version of this pod is an essential flavor component in Chai tea.

Ginger
Cardamom
Tonka Bean
Cumin

From left to right, these are...

Cumin, Anise
Celery Seed, Dill
Fennel, Cumin
Dill, Anise

This Thai cuisine staple is also purported to possess aphrodisiac qualities.

Ginger
Galangal
Horseradish
Asafoetida

This pungent, earthy seed is valued for both culinary and medicinal use.

Black Cumin
Fennel
Black Cardamom
Grains of Selim

Chewing this spice is said to improve and sweeten the breath.

Dill
Anise
Fennel
Celery Seed

Dried peppers are ground to make this spice, which is widely used in Hungarian and Spanish cuisine.

Telicherry
Wasabi
Ras al Hanout
Paprika

Filed under: Quizzes, Ingredients

The world's most expensive spice: Iranian Sargol saffron

COMMENTS 8

by Max Shrem, Posted Jul 30th 2008 @ 9:01AM

There is something magical about saffron. Maybe, it's the striking bright red stigmas that always catch my eye and evoke images of vibrant florid Indian fabrics. Perhaps, I'm struck by its deep aroma that smells of honey with notes of grass and hay. Either way, I'm in love with this spice.

While walking through the colorful Spice Souk in Dubai, I visited several shops where they sell saffron. A merchant showed me different kinds and let me pick up a bundle of the Iranian Sargol saffron from its style, the yellow part of the plant below the red threads. Most people are shocked by the high prices of saffron. Iran is the world's largest producer.

Recently, international sanctions against Iran have contributed to rising saffron prices. Seventy-five percent of Iran's saffron is exported to the United Arab of Emirates and Spain. However, the main reason why saffron is so expensive can be attributed to its harvest. 150 saffron crocus flowers must be plucked by hand to produce just one gram of red saffron stigmas. Persian saffron is the highest quality of saffron. Suggestions on how to purchase saffron can be found after the jump.

Filed under: Stores & Shopping, Ingredients, How To

DIY Saffron Meringue Chicks for Easter

COMMENTS 11

by Joanne Lutynec, Posted Apr 4th 2007 @ 2:02PM

As we've admitted before, here at Slashfood we are all a little obsessed with Peeps. Love them or hate them, it is hard to escape the little marshmallow treats, especially at Easter time. In the past we've torched them, used them in recipes and looked at how to make your own using a Williams-Sonoma kit.

Now, the Evil Mad Scientist has sent us this recipe which eliminates the marshmallow altogether but adds a few unexpected twists. Using a meringue base and adding saffron strands for added oomph, I'm fairly certain these "Peeps" will be unlike anything you have ever had before.

Source

Filed under: On the Blogs, Ingredients, How To

Gin Notes: Cadenhead's Old Raj Dry Gin

COMMENTS 0

by Jonathan M. Forester, Posted Mar 30th 2007 @ 3:02PM

Old Raj Dry Gin is 55% abv. / 110 proof and has been distilled in Scotland since the early 1970's for Cadenhead, a renowned maker of premium single malt scotch. The strength is that of traditional dry gins and that powerful spirit works very well. It is considered the super premium gin that lead the pack by decades, compared to the new, premium gins that have hit the market in the last few years.

What makes Old Raj unusual is that it has a hint of a pale yellow/ gold color to it. This is because one of the last steps in its manufacture is infusing it with Saffron, the floral spice that is worth up to $3,000-$5,000 per pound. For those of you who don't know, saffron is the stigmas of the crocus flower. There are three of these tiny threads in each flower and they must be carefully picked by hand, and then dried quickly but gently to preserve the intense floral flavor and aroma. It is an extremely labor intensive process with 14,000 threads needed to make up one ounce. Some of the other botanicals used are Juniper, Coriander Seed, Angelica Root, Lemon and Orange Peels, Orris Root, Cassia Bark, and Almond Powder.

Filed under: Lush Life, Raves & Reviews, Trends, Liquor Cabinet, Drink Recipes, Drinks

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"saffron" news and stories

Saffron Cupcakes - Feast Your Eyes

Spice ID Quiz

Spice ID Quiz

Both leaves and seeds of this plant are employed as seasoning in Indian food, and the seeds are used to flavor artificial maple syrup.