23 September: Saffron

Celebrated on this date in the French Revolutionary Calendar, saffron is hailed as the world's most expensive spice. Here are some things you might not know about it.

1. Saffron is made from the stigmas of a Crocus flower, Crocus sativum.
2. The origins of the word saffron are a little uncertain but most sources go with the theory that it comes from the Arabic word, ”zafaran” which means Yellow.
3. One reason it's the most expensive spice is that harvesting it is extremely labour intensive. It takes 80,000 flowers to produce a pound of saffron (453 grams) and the stigmas have to be removed by hand, at dawn when the flowers first open. According to legend, in some parts of the world, it can only be picked by virgins or girls under 13.
4. Iran produces 90% of the world's saffron. It's also produced in India and Spain. It was probably first cultivated in and around Greece. In years gone by, the town of Basel in Switzerland owed its prosperity to growing saffron, until one year the crop failed. It's even been grown in Britain. In Saffron Walden, naturally.
5. Saffron was so sought after that it was a major motivation for piracy in the 13th century - and the theft of a shipment of it once sparked a fourteen week war. In 1444 any merchant caught selling adulterated saffron in Bavaria would be burned alive.
6. In ancient times it was highly prized as an aphrodisiac. Saffron would be strewed across the beds of newly married couples, and they'd also be given it to drink, powdered in hot Milk, to help the wedding night along. It was also an ingredient of a magic potion intended to make a man fall in love. Cleopatra used to bathe in it, because not only would the scent and colour on her skin drive men wild with desire, it would increase her own enjoyment of lovemaking as well.
7. There were other uses. Saffron was said to be a cure for melancholic thoughts. The Romans used it as a perfume and deodorant and would spread it in public areas like amphitheatres. When Nero entered Rome they spread saffron along the streets. The Romans also made mascara out of it and offered it to their gods. It can be made into a yellow Orange dye, traditionally the colour of the robes of Buddhist monks. Saffron threads have been found interwoven into ancient Persian royal carpets and funeral shrouds. Aulus Cornelius Celsus prescribes saffron in medicines for wounds, cough, colic, and scabies. Alexander the Great used Persian saffron in his infusions as a curative for battle wounds. Even today, scientists acknowledge it has medicinal benefits including improvement of vision, anti cancer properties, and benefits for depression.
8. Saffron is rich in Vitamins B and C, manganese and magnesium.
9. An ancient Greek legend explains the origins of saffron thus: a handsome youth named crocus fell in love with a nymph named Smilax and set out to woo her. She was flattered at first and the two had an idyllic love affair - until she got bored with him. To get rid of him, she turned him into a saffron crocus.
10. Even today it's expensive stuff and can cost $50 for a quarter of an ounce. It's expensive enough that it has been chosen in Afghanistan as a replacement crop for the opium poppy to combat drug trafficking.