Spices saffron

The aroma and red color of the spice saffron are partly due to the style-specific accumulation of carotenoid cleavage products produced by both enzymatic and thermal degradation. M. Giaccio reviewed the renewed interest in saffron as a colorant, spice, and nutraceutical. " Crocetin is a C20 apocarotenoid derived from zeaxanthin (Figure 5.3.4B). ... 

This cosmopolitan family, represented especially well in South Africa, the eastern Mediterranean, and Central and South America, is known for its garden flowers, the spice saffron, and the genus Iris for its perfume oils. 

The most important considerations in marketing and estabUshing a crop from a new source are constancy of supply and quahty. Eor some spices, it is difficult to reduce labor costs, as some crops demand individual manual treatment even if grown on dedicated plantations. Only the individual stigmas of the saffron flower must be picked cinnamon bark must be cut, peeled, and roUed in strips mature unopened clove buds must be picked by hand and orchid blossoms must be hand pollinated to produce the vanilla bean. 

In 1991, vanilla beans were the highest valued spice import, with shipments totaling 69.0 million, followed by black and white pepper at 60.6 million, capsicum peppers and paprika at 42.6 million, sesame seed at 40.6 million, and cassia and cinnamon at 27.8 million. The most expensive spices, on a unit value basis, include saffron, 1116/kg average New York spot vanilla beans, 80.50/kg for Bourbon beans from Madagascar, Comoros, and Reunion, and 22.05/kg for Java beans and cardamom, 38.54/kg for grade AA bleached Indian and 3.88/kg for Guatemalan mixed greens. 

Saffron. Saffron spice is the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae), a bulbous perennial native to southern Europe and Asia Minor and cultivated in the Mediterranean countries, particularly Spain. Tme saffron should not be confused with either meadow saffron, ie, Colchicum autumnale L. (Lihaceae) also called safflower, or bastard saffron, ie, Carthamus tinctorius L. (Compositae), both of which are occasionally used to adulterate tme saffron. 

Saffron is found in the pistils of the plant Crocus sativus. Saffron is often confused with safflower, sometimes known as bastard saffron. The name of the plant. Crocus sativus, comes from the Arabic word faran, meaning yellow. The Romans and the Greeks used saffron not only as a dye but also as a spice. In the early days of Greece, yellow was the official color, and Grecian women were especially fond of clothes dyed with saffron. Because of its scarcity, saffron ranked among the most expensive dyes of the ancient world. 

Saffron is the tiny stigma at the center of the crocus flower, Crocus sativus. Because each stigma is plucked from the flower by hand, saffron is one of the most expensive spices in use today. 

Saffron is a spice that is used sometimes for flavor, but mostly for the yellow color it imparts to foods. Because of its expense, saffron is often replaced in recipes by another carotenoid, annatto, or the unrelated dye molecule in turmeric. Like the other carotenoid dyes, saffron is an antioxidant, but its expense makes it unsuitable as a preservative or dietary supplement. 

Spices snch as paprika, saffron, and annatto, which are traditionally employed in different parts of the world, contain nniqne carotenoids. Fignre 4.2.2 shows the strnctnres of these carotenoids. 

Giaccio, M., Crocetin from saffron an active component of an ancient spice, Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 44, 155, 2004. 

M. Carmona, A.M. Sanchez, F. Ferreres, A. Zalacain, F. Tomas Barheran and G.L. Alonso, Identification of the flavonoid fraction in saffron spice by LC/DAD/MS/MS comparative study of samples from different geographical origins, Food Chem., 100, 445 450 (2007). 

The appreciation of color and the use of colorants dates back to antiquity. The art of making colored candy is shown in paintings in Egyptian tombs as far back as 1500 bc. Pliny the Elder described the use of artificial colorants in wine in 1500 bc. Spices and condiments were colored at least 500 years ago. The use of colorants in cosmetics is better documented than colorants in foods. Archaeologists have pointed out that Egyptian women used green copper ores as eye shadow as early as 5000 bc. Henna was used to redden hair and feet, carmine to redden lips, faces were colored yellow with saffron and kohl, an arsenic compound, was used to darken eyebrows. More recently, in Britain, in the twelfth century, sugar was colored red with kermes and madder and purple with Tyrian purple. 

The colorants from saffron have enjoyed good technological success as colorants and spices but their high price has led to searches for other sources of the same pigments. The pigments, but not the flavor, can be obtained in much larger quantities from the fmits of the gardenia or Cape jasmine plant.33... 

Food and feed additives do not stand back with regard to the diversity of products. They extend from minerals, mainly calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, to amino acids, vitamins and natural spices. All in all, there are several hundred individual compounds used as feed and food additives. The most expensive product is saffron, made from the stigmas of the saffron crocus flower. The yearly production amounts to about 700,000 kg, and the spice is retailing for about 2500/kg. Amino acids play a big role the largest product is monosodium glutamate (MSG), with a yearly production of 1.5-2 million tons and a price of about 2.30 per kilogram, followed by L-lysine (850,000 tons/ 1.50/kg), D,L-methionine (600,000 tons/ 3/kg), L-threonine (85,000 tons, 3.40/kg), and L-tryptophane (1750 tons/ 24/kg). Major producers of... 

Saffron - [COLORANTS FORFOOD, DRUGS, COSMETICS AND MEDICAL DEVICES] (Vol 6) - [FLAVORS AND SPICES -SPICES] (Vol 11) - [FLAVORS AND SPICES -SPICES] (Vol 11) -as food additive [FOOD ADDITIVES] (Vol 11)... 

Spices such as saffron, fennel, dill, cinnamon, and anise also contain psychoactive substances that are chemically similar to myristicin. Generally, the level of psychoactive agents in these other spices is far too low to produce any noticeable consequences in people using them for cooking, but their role, regardless of how subtle, in enhancing the culinary experience should not be ignored. 

Various Indian spices are added in vermouth such as cinnamon, black pepper, coriander, cumin, clove, large cardamom, saffron, nutmeg, and ginger possess various therapeutic values... 

Vanilla is the second most expensive spice after saffron because its production is very labour-intensive. The world market for vanilla is highly concentrated in the USA, France and Germany. In 2004, US imports of vanilla amounted to US 205 million, followed by France and Germany (US 44 million and US 36 million, respectively). These importing countries represent 72.5% of the world vanilla trade. 

Small cardamom, known as the queen of spices , which belongs to the family of Zingiberaceae, is a rich spice obtained from the seeds of a perennial plant, Elettaria car-damomum Maton. It is one of the highly prized spices of the world and is the third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla. Cardamom is one of those spices that cross the sweet/savoury boundary between desserts and main dishes. The original home of this precious spice is the mountains of the south-western parts of the Indian Peninsula. As early as the 4th century bc, cardamom was used in India as a medicinal herb and was an article of Greek and Roman trade. India had a virtual monopoly of cardamom until recently. Cardamom cultivation in India is confined to three states Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (Korikanthimath et al., 2002) However, now it is cultivated in Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Nepal, Vietnam, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico and Tanzania (Mehra, 2001). 

Any spice (except saffron or turmeric) or natural flavorings... 

Spice and appetite stimulating chilli, mustard, pepper, nutmeg, ginger, cardamon, cinnamon and saffron. 

Willard, P. 2001. Saffron The Vagabond Life of the World s Most Seductive Spice. Boston Beacon Press. 

Annatto is one of the oldest eolorants, dating back to antiquity for coloring food, cosmetics and textiles. Annatto is produced from the seeds of the tropical shrub Bixa Orellana. Saffron is also a very old colorant dating back to the 23rd century BC. It is produeed from the dried stigmas of the flowers of the crocus bulb. Crocus saliva. Saffron is known as the gourmet spice because it produces a desirable flavor and eolor. Its high price is assured because it takes about... 

Crocus sativus L (Family Iridaceae) a perennial herb, native to the Eastern Mediterranean region, is cultivated in Spain, France, Greece, Italy, India, Turkey, Iran, e.t.c. Saffron-the yellow-orange stigmas from a small purple Crocus sativus flower- is the world s most expensive spice. 

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