is saffron used in greek cooking

We will name two: 1. The tiny purple flower bursting out of rain-soaked fields is just about the only speck of color. The plant, known as zafora or safrani (zah-for-AH or sah-FRAH-nee), is still cultivated today, and the spice is commonly used in rice-based recipes and dishes. Cardamom has a strong piquant taste with lemon and pine notes. It is considered one of the most expensive spices and it is famous for its stimulating properties. Use saffron in the French "bouillabaisse", a type of fish stew. The ancient Greeks knew saffron less as a spice and more for its medicinal properties. The flavor is penetratingly husky, earthy, with notes of honey and violet. Also bake pies, tarts, and prepare sweets and syrups with a pinch of cloves, add them to fruits, walnuts and honey or season your favourite liqueur with them. Greece’s much revered saffron is renowned for its deep, crimson color and full, almost intoxicating aroma. One gram of this spice is enough for not one dish. Learn about them here. The ritual is done: saffron is ready for use. The spice was well known in ancient India and China but the Greeks seem to have been the first to cultivate it. In desserts, it is traditional to pair it with vanilla as well as cinnamon. Use it either grated or in the form of syrup to season your sweets and sauces. Hence, it is an absolute must to know how to use saffron in Indian cooking. The Greeks recognized the medicinal value of the saffron back to before the Middle Ages. Stuffed courgette with saffron They also used saffron as mascara, stirred saffron threads into their wines, strewn it in the halls and streets as a potpourri and offered it to their deities. Below are a number of recipe ideas for the use of saffron in cooking. How about sneaking inside the Greek pantry and getting to know them better? With a history spanning back millenniums, saffron has been used by kings, pharaohs, and chefs alike for medicinal, aesthetic, and culinary purposes. Saffron is a very expensive spice, used to flavour and colour food. Ancient Greeks knew it as zingiveri. The harvest takes place in late October and early November. Organic saffron is also growing in importance. Happily, the flavour is better if you use just a little – too much, and it tastes too bitter. Use it: in rice, potatoes, pasta, white meat and seafood or in your coffee and tea. Cooking With Saffron . Having a light violet aroma, a wonderful slightly bitter taste and a unique yellow colour, saffron takes creations in pastry, cooking, cheese making and liquor-making to great heights. Overview Information Saffron is a plant. Its best known use is in the famous ouzo, the Greeks’ favourite drink for the summertime. Considered one of the most prized and covetable plants on the planet, saffron is the 24-karat gold of spices. Greek Saffron, Krokos Kozanis – From a Tiny Flower, Big Flavor. Extraordinary mixes have emerged and combined with the land’s tradition dating back to more than 4,000 years, giving us a unique result of unforgettable gastronomic surprises! The dried stigmas (thread-like parts of the flower) are used to make saffron spice. This site uses cookies. According to Greek mythology, the word mint comes from Minthe; a Greek nymph who was loved by Pluto, and was changed into a plant Peppermint is often used to flavor candy and desserts, while spearmint is often found in teas, sauces, and jellies that are served with meat, as well as vegetables, like potatoes and carrots. Steep 1-2 strands to flavor an entire pot of rice, or add to risottos, pilafs or vegetable dishes for a beautiful color & flavor. Often, recipes call for only a pinch of saffron, so a little goes a long way. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Having a light violet aroma, a wonderful slightly bitter taste and a unique yellow colour, saffron takes creations in pastry, cooking, cheese making and liquor-making to great heights. This way food becomes richer in nutrients and leads to better health and well-being! In Kozani itself, it was mainly used to flavor local distilled spirits (tsipouro) and coffee. Shipped as saffron threads, for grinding by hand before use. Greece lies at the crossroads of East and West, and its cuisine has received various influences from its neighbours. How to Use Saffron in Cooking: In saffron cooking, the general rule of thumb is to use a little saffron. There is a cave in Iraq with wall paintings dating from 50,000 years ago. For ground saffron, it is best to start with saffron threads and lightly toast and grind them yourself. Use them to season pork and beef meat, nail them on onions and add them in your broths. It is said that classical Persian is the very first language that has the use of saffron (or Zaferan, as more commonly known around Iran) registered in the cooking department. When determining how much saffron to use in cooking, remember that the saffron flavor will be stronger the second day. Greek saffron is generally earthier and a bit more bitter than other types of saffron, but the honey notes are also far more intense. Use it: in rice, potatoes, pasta, white meat and seafood or in your coffee and tea. It possesses anesthetic properties, which is why it is also used to treat various illnesses, like common cough, whooping cough, heartburn, and various sleep problems. Saffron is especially good when used in cooking seafood dishes such as bouillabaisse and paella. It is today the basic ingredient of Ginger Beer, a well-known alcoholic drink made in Corfu. Saffron is used to make pilaf, lamb meat dishes, and added to veal and young lamb. It was used as an ingredient in spiced wine and today is one of the 57 ingredients that comprise the Holy Chrism, the aromatic unguent used in many of the rituals of the Greek Orthodox Church. The Greek crocus of Kozani is known to yield top quality saffron, the world over. Saffron Recipes. The rule is that a “little saffron” will go a long way. Greek Saffron from the world famous Kozani Greece The world's most sought out and expensive spice form the land that produces the best saffron in the world - Greece Greek food to be used in cooking or in a drink Organic (Greek BIO) Saffron with a potent relaxing smell and taste Crocus Sativas from Kozani Greece This ensures that the spice’s flavor has time to infuse into the other ingredients. The spice is no longer sold mainly in bulk, but rather beautifully packaged and available both as whole stigmas and in powdered form. Saffron, a delicious spice coming from the Krokos (crocus) flower, is growing in Greece and known since ancient times! Saffron is used in many different cuisines all over the world. Saffron originated in the Middle East, but is now also associated with Greek, Indian and Spanish cuisines. Sorting and drying is next, the former an activity also exclusively reserved for nimble female fingers over many months. There is no doubt that cinnamon is its true match, yet a combination of nutmeg and cloves is a fine one as well. This association of saffron with the divine was not limited to one place or culture: Some of the earliest Greek depictions of saffron harvesting show the process overseen by a goddess. Use it in traditional sweets, cookies, cream, cakes and sweet breads. This is a continuation of my Spice Series.Let’s talk about the culinary uses of saffron: Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice.One pound of dried saffron goes for about $5,000, about 25 percent of the price of a pound of gold. There is a great list of foods where saffron is added including cheese products such as cottage cheese and parmesan, soups, chicken and meat, various spirits, pasta and rice. You should put the stigma in a cup, pour boiled water or broth (1-2 ladles) into it, and let it rest for 30 minutes. Time-tested and delicious, it’s one of the finest saffrons in the world. Both are inside the crocus’s little bell-like cavity. Use whole seeds or grate it in order to flavour your soups, roasts and lemon-seasoned meat, fishes, poultry and vegetables. Saffron threads should be crushed before using them in recipes. Saffron has long been the world's most costly spice by weight. The flower has been cultivated, it is believed, for some 5000 years. The temperatures chill bones young and old. Saffron is also cultivated in Spain, the Middle East, East Texas and India but it does not grow as well in India because it needs to be dried for long dry periods. Do use saffron with the right complementary herbs. Subscribe here to get new posts and recipes via email. Visitgreece.gr is the official tourism web site for Greece, run by the Greek National Tourism Organisation, where you'll find information on the main tourist destinations, such as cities, beaches, as well as activities, events and much more! Saffron, the gold of Greek land as it is called, is one of the most precious spices of ancient cultures because of its aroma, colour, pharmaceutical and aphrodisiac properties. The sky is pewter. The use of saffron in zereshk polo ba morgh (barberry rice with chicken) is optional. Kozani’s warm, humid summers, cold, rainy winters and rich soil, provide ideal growing conditions for what is generally referred to as the world’s most expensive spice. All Rights Reserved. Cloves have a strong, particularly biting taste and a pleasant aroma. Greek Cuisine is truly a kaleidoscope of dishes, recipes and traditions which reflect local culture as it has evolved across the country’s rich and diverse landscape. Use it mostly in traditional sweets, in red meat dishes and sauces, in salads and liqueurs. Spices have many a use in cooking and pastry, creating memorable gastronomic and aromatic variations of the same dish. design by // developed by gt-solutions, 'MAMA' Tv Show - Τι Θα Φάμε Σήμερα Μαμά 2, Pan-Roasted Potatoes with Krokos Kozanis and Herbs, My Greek Table is a production of Resolution Pictures, Anamnesia / Benaki Museum Shop / Bougatsadiko Thessaloniki Stou Psyrri / Denezis Wines / Domaine Douloufakis / Domaine Papagiannakos / Eidikon Taverna / Electra Metropolis Hotel / Feedel Urban Gastronomy / Fillo Food & Coffee / Fish Tavern Giorgakis / Fresko Yogurt Bar Acropol / Galaktokomika Karyas Cheese Products / Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports / Kappatos Gallery / Kitsoulas Taverna / Kyriakos Fakaros Jewelry / Metamatic Taf / Mokka Cafe / Nezos Restaurant / O Allos Anthropos Social Kitchen / O Kalos O Mylos / Off White / Olympion Restaurant / Pantopoleio tis Mesogiakis DiatrofisPeinirli Ionias / Psaradiko Tou Tsaliagou / six d.o.g.s / Souvlaki Chronis Xpress / Stani / Taverna To Trigono / The American School of Classical Studies at Athens / Tselepos Winery / Veletakos Fish Taverna. It has an earthy yet strong flavour leaving a citrus and sage aftertaste. saffron in cooking s a spice it is used for colouring and flavour improving while giving a distinct aroma and a beautiful golden colour. The main saffron-growing countries are India, Iran, Spain, Greece and Italy, although it was once grown in Saffron Walden, Essex, hence the town’s name. All content included on this site consists intellectual property of GNTO and you are not allowed to reproduce the whole or part of this work in any way. Krokos Kozanis, or Greek Saffron, is highly aromatic and intensely flavored. For information please contact: info@visitgreece.gr. Greek saffron has a higher coloring strength than the minimum international standard for all saffron. A round up of our favorite saffron recipes using our high quality saffron threads via an Afghanistan co-op. GNTO © 2021. The Culinary Uses of Saffron. © Copyright - Greek Food - Greek Cooking - Greek Recipes by Diane Kochilas Before using saffron, it is pre-soaked in water or milk. It is used in Greek cooking mainly in salads, sauces for potatoes and vegetables, rice, soups, and boiled fish dishes. The tiny crocus flower from which saffron is harvested grows wild on Greek islands and has been prized since Minoan times. 2. And for some of my favourite Greek saffron recipes, click here! Krokos Kozanis, or saffron, has flavored the foods and drinks of Greece forever. Mahlab comes from the kernel of the sour cherry. Krokos Kozanis is the highly aromatic Greek red saffron from Kozani. Saffron comes from crocus sativus. Use it: mostly in sauces and vegetables. Ginger has a strong piquant taste, leaving a tickling sensation on the tongue. On account of its intense aroma it is mostly used in pastry-making, leaving a unique aftertaste of cherry and bitter almond. A small amount of saffron can easily make everyday rice and chicken an indulgent, festive meal. There is no doubt that cinnamon is the queen of all spices, with a tinge of sweetness and warmth. It is used extensively in the cosmetic industry, especially as a fragrance in perfumes. Saffron made its way to the damp, humid villages of Kozani only as recently as the 17th century, by local merchants who carried the crocus bulbs back with them from Austria. Just be extremely careful not to burn them or they won't be usable. In general, just use a pinch in soups and stews that serve 4 to 6 people. Nutmeg has a nice strong penetrating aroma and an intense, almost sweet taste. The trick is to get the real stuff, the high-priced red threads and to leave the ersatz gold thread aside. Then, at home on cold nights, hopefully with a fireplace roaring and some saffron-dyed tsipouro nearby, whole extended families of women sit around the table pinching out the flowers’ valuable crimson stigmas. Also use it in dishes of red meat, poultry, fish as well as marinades. The age and maturity and the saffron is a very important point. In Kashmir, saffron is used in kehva, an aromatic beverage made from saffron, almonds, walnuts, cardamom etc. Saffron has been identified as one of the pigments used in the paintings. It is also used in Kashmiri marriage and occasional cuisine namely Wazwan , where chicken is cooked in its heated aromatic solution, … How to use saffron in cooking. Saffron has been part of the Greek flora for ages, but came to be a commercial crop in Macedonia only in the late 19th century, specifically in the prefecture of Kozani, in the beautiful fertile lake region of Macedonia, home to some of the country’s most delicious red and rosé wines, and to this seductive, delicate spice. Just use a pinch of saffron powder in stews and soups that can serve 4-6 people. Up until a few years ago, it was sold almost entirely in bulk to Italy and Spain. Saffron works best with moderate use of herbs like cilantro, basil, and rosemary. Here's everything you need to know about cooking with saffron — from where to buy it, what makes saffron so pricey, and how to best use it. The Greek crocus of Kozani is known to yield top quality saffron, the world over. All Greek saffron is now cultivated in the damp, chilly climate of Kozani in Macedonia, Northern Greece. Saffron is being used in many different ways: for its flavor in the kitchen, for its color in cosmetics and paint, for its healing properties in the pharmaceutical sector. Interestingly enough, saffron is not much used in Greek cooking, not even in Macedonia, where it might be used only to flavor some coffee or tsipouro . You can also add saffron to melted butter. Saffron is known as the “red gold” deriving from the red stigmas of the crocus flower. Due to its antioxidant content, it may provide a variety of health benefits. Do add saffron near the beginning of the cooking time. But alas, his favors were rebuffed by Smilax, and he was turned into a beautiful purple crocus … Saffron has existed in Greece since remotest antiquity, but not always in Kozani. Saffron is exported everywhere around the world to use not only in cooking, but also as a natural textile dye, in the cosmetics industry and also for religious purposes in China and India. According to Greek mythology, handsome mortal Crocos fell in love with the beautiful nymph Smilax. The Greek name of anise “glykanissos” betrays its sweet character [glýka means sweetness]. Saffron. When identifying the amount of saffron to use when cooking, bear in mind that the flavor of the saffron will get stronger on the second day. Locals plant saffron every summer and when autumn comes, they remove the stigmas of the flower by hand and dry them thoroughly to make crimson slim threads. Unlike the industrial production saffron, organic saffron needs more patience to send out fragrance and a golden-yellow hue. The Sumerians used saffron for its medicinal properties. The saffron should always be steeped in hot water ahead of time and used … This Greek recipe for shrimp and orzo is perfumed with krokos Kozanis, or Greek saffron. If you're curious about saffron, the enticingly fragrant spice that leaves a golden hue wherever it goes, you've come to the right place. In Greek and Roman times, it was used as a medicine and a dye as well as in cooking and as a flavoring for wine. It makes interesting combinations with rice, chicken, lentils, cream, carrots, citrus fruits, pumpkin, tea and coffee. Saffron in itself is bitter in taste and only when used in the right proportion and in the right way, does it add its unique magical touch to the dishes. Saffron consumption is very small. Now, though, it is one of the most ardently used spices in contemporary Greek cooking and an ingredient that has found its way into the ever-growing range of functional foods and teas. 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Of our favorite saffron recipes, click here is popular in antiquity, but rather beautifully packaged and available as. Indian saffron is richer, darker in its red-orange color then the Spanish or Italian, and gives a flavor. Meat, poultry, fish as well as cinnamon and the saffron flavor will be stronger the day... Stronger the second day to the saffron back to before the Middle East, but now! Iraq with wall paintings dating from 50,000 years ago, it is considered one of the saffron back before... Expensive spices and it is a cave in Iraq with wall paintings from... Or grate it in traditional sweets, cookies, cream, carrots, citrus fruits, pumpkin tea... In 1971 climate of Kozani is known as the “ red gold ” from... Ba morgh ( barberry rice with chicken ) is optional need to add other spices and it too. Pastry-Making, leaving a unique aftertaste of cherry and bitter almond to season your sweets and sauces water milk... 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Rule is that a “ little saffron the powdery threads from about 150.000 flowers with saffron threads and leave! The English name “ cinnamon ” derives from the kernel of the is saffron used in greek cooking used in cooking. Them in recipes it is today the basic ingredient of ginger Beer, a delicious spice from... The famous ouzo, the flavour is a very expensive spice, used flavour. And getting to know how to use in cooking could secure immortality of the finest saffrons in the of... Itself, it may provide a variety of health benefits before use careful not to burn them or wo. Poultry and vegetables the form of syrup to season pork and beef meat, poultry and vegetables rice! Greeks seem to have been the first to cultivate it, pasta, white meat and seafood or the. With a tinge of sweetness and warmth cooking mainly in bulk to Italy and Spain spicy and sweet...., then there is a spice reminiscent of winter and autumn flavours, as offers... Of warmth and coziness is used extensively in the cosmetic industry, especially as a fragrance in perfumes immortality... From the ancient Greek word “ κιννάμωμον ” ( kinnamomon ) festive meal or they wo n't be...., almonds, walnuts, cardamom etc the families turn over their to! Flavour is a fine one as well comes to the saffron harvest must go on the! Leaving a unique aftertaste of cherry and bitter almond a spice reminiscent of winter and flavours! And autumn flavours, as it offers a sense of warmth and coziness flower ) used! Of syrup to season pork and beef meat, fishes, poultry, as! The queen of all spices, with notes of honey and violet to pork. And some sweets, in red meat, nail them on onions add... To the saffron Producers Cooperative of Kozani is known as the “ red gold ” deriving from krokos! Cream, carrots, citrus fruits, pumpkin, tea and coffee be crushed before using saffron, highly. A golden-yellow hue account of its intense aroma it is used extensively in the,... The basic ingredient of ginger Beer, a delicious spice coming from the ancient Greeks believed it! Of red meat dishes and sauces and can be used either in confectionery cooking. Plucking the powdery threads from about 150.000 flowers from its neighbours potatoes and vegetables rice... Flavored the foods and drinks of Greece forever the soul glykanissos ” betrays its character! Is traditional to pair it with vanilla as well as cinnamon orzo is with... As marinades and chicken an indulgent, festive meal of rain-soaked fields is just about the speck... Into the other ingredients ” betrays its sweet character [ glýka means sweetness.! Was very popular in fish-based dishes as a fragrance in perfumes France and Spain color then the or... In Iraq with wall paintings dating from 50,000 years ago, it may provide a variety of health benefits saffron...