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Saffron is a very costly spice derived from the flower of saffron crocus. It is a fellow member of crocus placed in family Iridaceae and is scientifically known as Crocus sativus. The flower may be discerned by three stigmas present at the distal end of each carpel. The stalks joining the stigmas are known as styles. The stigmas are dried and are very usual in cooking as a seasoning and colouring agent. Saffron is native to Southwest Asia and is perhaps the most pricey spice of the world by weight. It is bitter in taste and has an iodoform like fragrance. This fragrance is due to the presence of sure chemicals namely picrocrocin and safranal. A carotenoid dye namely crocin is responsible for imparting golden-yellow hue to dishes when saffron is employed as a colouring agent. Saffron derives it is name from a Latin word meaning yellow. The domesticated saffron crocus is a perennial flowering plant unknown in wild. The plant is known to flower in autumn. It is a sterile triploid form growing in eastern Mediterranean but believed to have originated in Central Asia. C. cartwrightianus is a potpourri that has been formulated by artificial selection by crazy plant growers. The plant is sterile and thus, fails to manufacture viable seeds. Plants require humane assistance to carry out their reproduction. Corms are applied for growing a new plant. A corm survives for one season and upon section it yields up to ten cormlets which construct new plants. Corms are little globules that measure 4.5 cm in diameter. In the spring season the plant formulates in regards to 5-11 narrow and vertically green leaves each measuring 40 cm in length. In autumn the plant gives rise to purple buds. In October flowering heads appear and they range in colour from light pastel shade of lilac to a darker and more striated mauve. During the flowering time the plant attains a height of 30 cm. three prolonged styles appear from each flower. Each later on gets terminated into a crimson coloured stigma measuring 25-30 mm in length. Saffron plants are known to tolerate winter frosts up to -10°C and very short periods of snow cover. Irrigation is required if not grown in moist climates like Kashmir wher the intermediate rainfall is 1,000-1,500 mm. spring rains and drier summers are very necessary for plant growth. They are liable to be damaged by digging activenesses of rabbits, rats, and birds. Nematodes, leaf rusts, and corm rot. They are planted in sloping fashion. In Northern Hemisphere planting is in general done if June. The plants prefer friable, loose, low-density, well-watered, and well-drained clay-calcareous soils with high organic content. Roughly 150 flowers hardly yield 1 gram of saffron. Saffron holds more than 150 volatile and aroma yielding chemical compounds. It also bears non-volatile carotenoids like zeaxanthin, lycopene, and respective ?- and ?-carotenes. The golden yellow- colour of saffron is due to the presence of ?-crocin. This crocin in actual terms is trans-crocetin di-(?-D-gentiobiosyl) ester. Crocins are actually hydrophilic carotenoids that are either monoglycosyl or diglycosyl polyene esters of crocetin. crocetin is a conjugated polyene dicarboxylic acid that is hydrophobic, and thence oil-soluble. When crocetin is esterified with two water-soluble gentiobioses, a product is formed that is water-soluble. ?-crocin is responsible for making 10% of arid mass of saffron. The two esterified gentiobioses make ?-crocin idealisti for colouring water-based (non-fatty) foods such as rice dishes. The bitter glucoside picrocrocin is responsible for saffron’s flavor. Safranal, a volatile oil, gives saffron much of it is distinguishable aroma. Safranal is less bitter than picrocrocin and may comprise up to 70% of arid weight of saffron. Dry saffron is highly sensible to vacillating pH levels, and quickly breaks down chemically in the presence of light and oxidizing agents. It ought to be stored in airtight containers. Saffron is heat resistant. Saffron is widely applied in Saffron is widely applied in Iranian (Persian), Arab, Central Asian, European, Pakistani, Indian, Turkish, and Cornish cuisines. Confectioneries and liquors likewise integrate saffron. Medicinally they are believed to have antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic and antioxidant properties. They are also known to protect eyes from direct and bright sunlight and from retinal stress by decelerating down macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. They are likewise employed as dye in China and India as well as in perfumery. |
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