The Best Products with Saffron

In this section you can find lots of precious ideas to enrich your table and make a great impression with your special guests: typical specialties of the Italian tradition embellished with the unique touch of saffron. #39 As beautiful as a sapphire, we are talking about the most expensive spice in the world and in Italy its traditional crops reach excellence

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Zafferano: our selection

How do we ship products with Saffron

Spaghetti & Mandolino is synonymous with quality and speed: in fact, we guarantee you a standard packaging that preserves all the characteristics and organoleptic properties of the product, and a fast shipment to allow you to have these flavors on the table in a very short time.

How do we ship products with Saffron

Saffron can certainly be defined as the king of spices, given the care necessary to obtain even just one gram and l&' an explosion of taste that it generates when it is added to even the simplest recipes. This spice is famous for being quite expensive, but quality saffron certainly pays off once you taste it

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Saffron: discovering qualities and types

Saffron is a spice obtained from the stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower, a plant that can grow up to 20—30 centimeters, producing up to four flowers. Each of them contains three stigmas that, once dried, can be used in the kitchen as a condiment and colorant. Today's saffron plant is sterile, probably due to &' high artificial selection of crops to make the plant have more stigmas of larger dimensions, but it is thought that its progenitor originated in &' island of Crete. Due to the fact that its reproduction can only take place through l&' human intervention, there are no real forms of wild saffron, which is, however, rather difficult to cultivate. The ideal climate for this plant is that of the Mediterranean scrub or in any case a climate with abundant spring rains and drier summers. For this reason, saffron crops are very present in Spain, Greece and Iran, where about 90% of the saffron on the market is produced. From these areas derive the various types of this spice, such as the Spanish one, with a softer color and from &' the sweetest aroma, the Iranian one, often very intense, but also the variants cultivated in Italy, mainly in Sardinia, with a full but more delicate taste than the Iranian varieties. Very special is the saffron from &' Aquila, with specific shaped pistils, unusually pungent aroma and intense color. Finally, we have the prohibitive 'Mongra' or 'Lacha' saffron from Kashmir, which is very difficult to find because, in addition to the difficulties due to the humid and unstable climate of the area that the plant encounters during cultivation, there is an Indian export ban. For this reason, this variety of saffron, with an almost purple color and a strong aroma, is also

very expensive. #39

Saffron: recipes and use in the kitchen

The flavor, l&' aroma and even the color of saffron are very intense, so it is important, when cooking, to pay attention to the quantities used, to avoid having too strong flavors. If we talk about saffron powder, 0.15 to 0.30 grams of this intense spice will be enough to cook for four people. If, on the other hand, you intend to use whole pistils, a more rustic and original way to consume this spice, it will be necessary to prepare them a little' first, since it is important to leave the pistils to infuse in a little lukewarm water for half' now or a &' now, to have a &' more or less marked intensity. L&' flavored water that will derive from this process can easily be added to all your dishes. Normally 0.30 grams of saffron in pistils are enough to cook for six people, but of course you can increase or decrease the doses according to your personal tastes or the type of recipe you are preparing. There are many recipes with saffron, first of all the risotto alla Milanese, given l&' strong but not invasive aroma of this spice. In addition, saffron is widely used in the preparation of special products, as is the case for some cheeses, for example Bagoss di Bagolino. But not only that, this incredible spice, besides being part of important recipes such as paella, a typical Spanish dish, or Sicilian arancini (or arancine),

lends itself to a thousand creative interpretations.

Saffron: benefits and nutritional properties

Given the amount of saffron we normally ingest, also because, let's face it, it's not that it's really cheap, l&' the nutritional intake of this spice is not very high. A decent presence of vitamin C, B6, folate and vitamin A, combined with the richness of minerals, especially manganese in large quantities, make saffron quite nutritious despite the amount we normally ingest. And be careful not to ingest too much, since, if consumed in excess, it can give side effects and even kill if you consume 12 to 20 grams.
In any case, by consuming less than one gram of this spice, various positive effects can be found. First of all, saffron is very useful for fighting mood disorders, especially depression. #39 For this reason, it can be said that saffron has antidepressant properties but not only that, it is useful for fighting sexual dysfunction and that is probably why, in the past, it was traditionally known as a powerful aphrodisiac.

In addition, the compounds found in saffron have antioxidant properties, thanks to the presence of carotenoids, anticancer properties and can combat premenstrual syndrome.

With all these benefits, it would be a shame not to take advantage of the extraordinary taste of this unique spice! Especially if you can be sure that you have excellent quality saffron on hand or the delicious products that you can cook with it

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