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Posted on 6:23 PM by Wanto and filed under
By Carolyn Eden
Fragrant dye or culinary herb that colours? It is hard to say, for saffron is a perfect synthesis of the two. There is no disputing the fact that originally saffron was used as a dye. Babylonian and Persian rulers wore saffron- coloured shoes and the ladies of ancient times used it to colour their robes. But by the Middle Ages already one-third of all central European recipes for dishes served in wealthy families called for saffron.
Because few can resist breaking off a sprig of this herald of spring, it is in danger of becoming an extinct species in the wild. It is dying out even though it will grow almost anywhere, tolerating dry conditions as well as limy soil and the air pollution of cities. It is, however, being planted in parks and gardens.
Used for flavouring are the bright orange, trifid stigmas that must be snipped out by hand, together with a part of the style, as soon as the flowers open and then dried quickly and very carefully. What a laborious and tedious task this is, is best documented by the fact that it is necessary to collect and process stigmas from as many as 200,000 flowers to obtain 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) of dried herbs.
Nevertheless, the fruits, cleverly combined with other spices, give some foods a pleasant and unusual taste. It is used in making breads and in herb mixtures for flavouring salamis and pts.
Coriander is most widely used in the Spanish-speaking countries of South America. It is one of the ingredients of curry-powder and is also added to pickled vegetables and to flavour certain herb liqueurs, such as gin. Fresh young leaves are also used as a seasoning.
The plant is closely related to caraway, fennel, dill and anise. The coriander sold in shops is from cultivated plants. It is raised mainly on the coast of north Africa, chiefly in Morocco, as well as in Europe, India, North and South America, principally in Argentina. The ripe fruits have a sweetish, slightly pungent flavour and a pleasant aroma.
Because few can resist breaking off a sprig of this herald of spring, it is in danger of becoming an extinct species in the wild. It is dying out even though it will grow almost anywhere, tolerating dry conditions as well as limy soil and the air pollution of cities. It is, however, being planted in parks and gardens.
Used for flavouring are the bright orange, trifid stigmas that must be snipped out by hand, together with a part of the style, as soon as the flowers open and then dried quickly and very carefully. What a laborious and tedious task this is, is best documented by the fact that it is necessary to collect and process stigmas from as many as 200,000 flowers to obtain 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) of dried herbs.
Nevertheless, the fruits, cleverly combined with other spices, give some foods a pleasant and unusual taste. It is used in making breads and in herb mixtures for flavouring salamis and pts.
Coriander is most widely used in the Spanish-speaking countries of South America. It is one of the ingredients of curry-powder and is also added to pickled vegetables and to flavour certain herb liqueurs, such as gin. Fresh young leaves are also used as a seasoning.
The plant is closely related to caraway, fennel, dill and anise. The coriander sold in shops is from cultivated plants. It is raised mainly on the coast of north Africa, chiefly in Morocco, as well as in Europe, India, North and South America, principally in Argentina. The ripe fruits have a sweetish, slightly pungent flavour and a pleasant aroma.
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