Saffron Food

Food Purposes

After tasting German saffron cake, “Allen Zitta” becomes curious about the seasonings used in the cake. It is the first time he is confronted a seasoning as a cook researcher. So, he studies the matter and opens a gate to the rich history of Asian seasonings.

Although from centuries before, different seasonings have come from India to England and then dishibuted all over the Europe, saffron has anoth.er story. It causes good taste, good color and good smell. Every body who has been familiar with saffron from long times ago, had used it in different foods every day. As it is an expensive seasoning, every body used it to the limitation of his/her economic ability.
In a wooing ceremony, when the girl’s family agrees with the boy’s family proposing suggestion, the host serves saffron tea which is the most mirthful drink in that joy ceremony; a special drink that creates an atmosphere of happiness in their ceremony.
In the mourning ceremony of a dear parson, the guests are received by saffron tea. It will relieve and pacify their nervous situations. So, we can consider a spectrum one end of which is the best and the happiest and the other end is the worst and the most dramatic moments of mankind. Of course, saffron is highlighted among other foods, drinking and cookies.
It is not possible to Just all the foods, drinking and cooking staff in which saffron is used in this short context.

The followings are just a handful of usages

1- Saffron is used as seasoning in roasting birds.
2- Saffron is used as color in meat foods.
3- Saffron is used as color and taste in streamed rice. 4- Saffron is used as color and decoration in cookies. 5- Saffron is used as color and taste in drinking.
6.Saffron’s petal is used as natural color in foods.
7.Saffron’s stigma is used to make jams (like saffron jam).
8.Saffron is used as the most important seasoning in all jams.

For each number we can name tens of examples. For instance, in south of Iran, people cook fish just with vinegar & salt. But when serving their guests, they add a little saffron and a few stigmas to the fish; the color, taste and smell suddenly changes.
Shiraz “Masghati”, Yazd “Halva”, Ghom “Sohan”, Kennanshah “Nan”, Khouzestan “Ranginak”, Lorestan “Koloucheh”, Kerman “Ghottab” and many other cookies are famous even beyond Jran borders. in cooking all of the above, saffron has a vital role.
In other countries, saffron is used as an important seasoning. For example, it is used in the Spanish food “Paella” consumed in north of Italy and south of Switzerland. Paella has been a favorite food for Federico Gracie Lorka, the well known Spanish poet.