health
Rachel Roddy’s recipe for saffron and tomato rice
Laborious to harvest and extortionately priced, the sunset-coloured stigmas of the saffron crocus have an extraordinarily warm, pungent taste. Fortunately, however, a little goes a very long way …
TL;DR
- Saffron is harvested by hand from the stigmas of the saffron crocus, a process that is both laborious and expensive.
- The spice has been cultivated since ancient times for its use in medicine, cosmetics, food, and as a dye.
- Saffron cultivation spread from Crete, Iran, and southwest Asia to various parts of the world, including Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and England.
- Commercial cultivation of saffron in Britain ceased for a period but is now being revived by growers like David Smale.
- To release its flavor and color, saffron threads need to be soaked and infused.
- A recipe for buttered saffron rice with tomatoes is provided, detailing ingredients and cooking instructions.