As saffron needs little water, the south borders of Khorasan province- due to the specific ecological conditions- are suitable regions for this plant. Although it has been cultivated in other...
As saffron needs little water, the south borders of Khorasan province- due to the specific ecological conditions- are suitable regions for this plant. Although it has been cultivated in other...
Saffron is a flowering plant in the Iridaceae family. Its scientific name is Crocus sativus and it is called safran in the French language.
It has an eight-year lifecycle, without any stem and its root is bulbous and spherical (figure 1).
The bulb is often twin, solid, hard, and covered by a thin brown membrane.
The roots are extended from the bottom of the spherical bulb. Each bulb produces 6 to 9 narrow leaves which are like meadow grasses. There comes out a hard and firm stem from the middle part of the bulb to which the narrow grassy leaves are jointed. The flower bar appears in the middle of the grassy leaves. This stem is the base for one, two, or even sometimes three flower-producing blossoms. The saffron flower is the only part of the plant which grows at the beginning of autumn.
It has an orderly and regular shape with a long and narrow bar which converts to three colored petals & three sepals. They are so alike that it is hard to recognize them. The petals most often are bright violet or purple with violet nervures.
There grows the triple stamen twice as long as its anther. The saffron anther is yellow and the gynoecia’s is in the middle of the flower. The gynoecia is an ovary, out of which grows a narrow style. The style is long bright yellow and ends with a three-branched, 2 to 3 cm shining red or orange reddish stigma.
The three-branched stigma and the bright yellow style are together called the red gold, the desert gold, or the saffron.
Saffron has a strong fragrance and a bitter and somehow hot taste.
Its white, yellow, gold, red, and green yellowish colors have put saffron among the most beautiful flowers. It is also an ornamental and costly flower.
In the widthwise section, the stigma is rectangular, containing three xylem and sieve tubes. The epidermis cells are on the external side on which exist fine fibers. These 80 to 100 microns tiny fibers of seed powders can be seen in ground saffron.
If you put the stigma in water, glycerin, or vegetable fats, it will become yellow-reddish. In the case a sulfuric acid drop is added to the liquid, it turns into deep blue.
Every 100 grams of saffron consists of 111 milligrams of calcium, 525 milligrams of phosphors, 1724 milligrams of potassium, fat, wax, terpenic fragrant essence, cineol, three hydroxide paroxetine, picrocrocine, and crocine.
It also includes 10-12 percent water, 5 to 7% other minerals, and little flat essence which creates the special smell of saffron.
Picrocrecine (picrocrocosoid) is a bitter and crystalline material.
Glucose produces a kind of fragrant aldehyde through hydrolyzed acid called safranal.
Its enzymatic hydrolysis produces four hydroxyls, two cyclocitrals which have a hydroxyl factor on its fourth carbon and a double lizon(instead of two double bonds).
If we analyze it through emulsion, instead of safranal, it will produce hydroxyl aldehyde safranal. Crocine (crocosoid) is the dye substance of saffron which is solublein water and thin alcohol, semi-soluble in absolute alcohol, and insoluble in ether. If analyzed, it will convert into two molecules of gensiobios and crocetin.
Crocine and crocin and crocetin will produce blue color in thick sulfuric acid. There are few free cartoneids by crocecine such as carten, nicopen, Alfa crocetine, beta crocetine , gama crocetine. They are referred to as Alfa, beta, and gamma crocetine. Karrer has indicated in his studies that there exist three kinds of kerosene. He designates and classifies them by symbols.
Different historical reports, travel accounts, and geographical resources indicate that saffron has only been growing in the Middle East in ancient times. In the reign of some kings of Middle Eastern countries, some kinds of saffron became internationally famous. Consequently, by the descent of those kings who supported agriculture, saffron became inconsequential again.
However, in recent decades the development and revival of saffron cultivation are quite prevailing.
The most important and fertilized regions for saffron are the limitations of the Iran Plateau and Spain (between 30 and 40 degrees of North latitude). Although the fame and quality of saffron have always been dependent on its origin (Iran), nowadays, the reputation of some other countries in this matter is being observed.
By the way, transferring saffron in the vast geographical scope was performed by Iranian people and Muslims after the ascend of Islam.
Iran and Spain have been two producing and exporting poles from far past. Adam Mens in his book “Islamic Culture in the Fourth Century” has written about saffron: “Because of its high price, saffron has been cultivated in rare regions like Damascus and South of Persia . But its origin has been old Media (Hamedan)”.
At the same time, large amounts of saffron have been exported from the city of Tolaytal to many other places.
Mr. Sharif Edrisi (12th century A. D.), while describing the old Spain, refers to the cultivation of saffron in cities like “Vaadiot A I-Hejazeh” and “Byaseh”. He added that these cities had fertilized farming lands so they produced a large amount.