HealthyFoodJournal.com

Spanish saffron is one of my favorite spices ever. There is nothing that compares to its exotic, pungent aroma. But you must use the real thing - not one of the cheap knock-offs. Saffron is the slender thread at the center of a small purple crocus, where the pollen catches and develops. There are precisely 3 threads per flower. These are hand-picked and then dried. It takes 13,125 threads to make an ounce and is the reason why saffron is the world’s most expensive spice.

Thankfully, saffron has an intensley aromatic flavor and it takes only a pinch to bring flavor and color to a dish. It brings more than this — it brings a dish alive with a flavor reminiscent of sunning oneself on a sultry Spanish beach. It is the most vital element in the French bouillabaisse, in many Spanish paellas, Italian risottos, Portuguese rice dishes, Persian pilafs, and Indian biryanis. Don’t you dare use the ground version or the fake stuff imbued with turmeric.

It has been used as a for remedy sore gums, fatique, eliminating mental blocks and  lowering the rate of heart disease. Therapeutically it strengthens the heart and nervous system. It aids digestion, by increasing the appetite and can help relieve nosebleeds, fatique and exhaustion.