Saffron yields its vibrant aroma and color to a Persian rice pudding.(Photo provided to China Daily)
Cookbook author Kelley is a career biologist whose lifelong fascination with food began in the kitchen of her Italian-American family. Her scientific training opened up entire worlds of non-culinary aspects of Silk Road foods, and her website at silkroadgourmet.com is a treasure trove of history, medicine, art and intriguing nuggets of lore as well as recipes.
"Traditional Chinese medicine values saffron as a pain killer and for treating cramps, asthma, bruises and stomach ailments, as well as for lowering blood pressure," she notes. "Recent clinical studies in the West show it might ease some depressive symptoms. More than a decade ago, people found that turmeric had these tremendous anti-inflammatory qualities, and that spurred both laboratory and clinical focus on all kinds of traditional medicine, especially Ayurveda and TCM."
Sayer Ji concurs, observing that while recent mainstream coverage on the Dr. Oz show highlighted saffron for potential weight-loss promoting properties, because it can suppress appetite, "saffron has far more to offer than that. It may, in fact, hold promise for serious neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease."
In California, where locals can wax as poetic about food as any Iranian, a small Santa Cruz company slowly infuses saffron and other spices known for their health qualities into a tonic－a cordial syrup marketed as Silk Road Genuine Original Elixir, an all-natural marinade or a topping for ice cream and other sweets.
Saffron's complex chemistry includes more than 150 volatile and aroma-yielding compounds.
It is saffron's aroma, of course, that makes poets sing and food lovers sigh.
In restaurants like Sharzhad in Esfahan or Persepolis in Beijing, Iranian chefs convert their treasured saffron into jewel-like morsels of yellow rice, fragrant teas and glowing golden desserts. In the US, a group of entrepreneurial military veterans have started Rumi Spice, an online shop that supports independent saffron growers in war-torn Afghanistan. In Calgary, Canada, the Silk Road Spice Merchant has similarly embraced the spirit of the ancient traders with a website rich with information and quality spices for sale since 2008.
"Fresh saffron has a distinctive earthy smell and flavor and imparts a bright orange color to food," say co-owners Kelci Hind and Colin Leach on the website, warning that imitations like safflower petals look similar but are far cheaper and almost tasteless. "Saffron is a characteristic ingredient for a number of traditional dishes like bouillabaisse and paella, as well as many risottos. Try adding a few threads to basmati rice with Indian dishes and turn your rice a beautiful golden color.
"When adding saffron to a dish," they advise, "add it to a bit of liquid first to draw out the color, or grind to a powder if no liquid is being used. Adding saffron early in the cooking process gives more color; adding late gives more flavor."
