Saffron Encyclopedia

Answer 1

Saffron was native to Asia Minor, Persia, and the countries along the Mediterranean coast. Its scientific name was crocus, and it belonged to the Iridae family. There were about 75 species, short and bulbous, native to the Alps, southern Europe, and the Mediterranean region. Its flowers were cup-shaped and bloomed in early spring or autumn. It was often cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Saffron was also known as crocus and crocus. It was introduced to China and Tibet through iran and India during the Ming Dynasty, so it was called crocus. Tibetan Saffron was a product of China's national geographical indication. It was used as a high-quality spice, dye, and food seasoning. It blooms in late October every year, and the flowering period lasts for 15 - 20 days. There are only three pistils available in the whole flower, and the highest content of active ingredients is only at the upper 1/3 of the pistil. It is the finished product of the dried pistil. These three small pistils can only be picked gently by hand. Each pistil is about 2 cm long. For every 90 - 100 flowers collected, only 1 gram of pistil can be obtained. Therefore, it has the reputation of "red gold".

Saffron contains crocin-1, 2, 3, 4, picrocrocin, crocetin dimmer ester, a-crocetin, saranal, volatile oil and other chemical components. The crocus produced in Tibet grew in the special environment of high altitude, large temperature difference, and strong sunshine. It had strong biological activity, and the total content of its active ingredients, carthamin I and carthamin II (about 20%, some up to 24%), was higher than that produced in iran and the mainland (about 19%).

Saffron has a variety of nutrients, which can promote blood circulation, promote blood circulation, and relieve depression and soothe the nerves. However, there are some taboos: First, people who are allergic to Saffron may have allergic phenomena after taking it, such as rashes, redness, itching, difficulty breathing, etc., and should immediately stop taking it and seek medical treatment in time; Second, women during menstruation, due to its blood circulation effect, taking it during menstruation will cause an increase in menstrual volume, which may lead to weakness and leukemia. Third, pregnant women have a strong effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. It is easy to promote uterus contraction during pregnancy and there is a risk of miscarriage. Fourth, children are in the growth and development period, and their organs are not mature. Long-term consumption of large quantities may affect normal development. Fifth, patients with digestive tract ulcers and bleeding diseases, such as gastric ulcers, hemoptysis, hematemesis, hemorrhoids, hypodermic purpuric, etc., will cause increased bleeding.

In terms of usage, most of the crocuses on the market were produced in iran. Each time, 3 - 4 crocuses were used to soak in hot water until the color was golden yellow. It could be drunk and refilled, but no more than 10 crocuses a day.

In addition, the name "Saffron" has two uses. It can refer to the dried head of the crocus (crocus).(The price is more expensive, about 60 yuan per gram), it can also refer to the dried tube-shaped flower or the whole red flower of the red flower (the price is relatively cheap, about 80 yuan per catty). The two come from different plants. The crocus is a perennials of the Iridae family, and the red flower is a plant of the Comet family. Because the dried tube-shaped flower of the red flower is similar to the dried Stigma of the crocus, coupled with the large yield and low price, it is often used by illegal vendors to pass off the dried Stigma of the crocus.

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