Safran, Saffron, Saffran, what's found in Thailand...

[forreachingme]

Here the few samples i was able to gather and make me think, do Thailand have the real thing ?

[Marmite the Dog]

I thought about growing saffron, but I think I'd have an impossible task convincing GoW to get her family to do something productive with their land.

[forreachingme]

Walking through some Yowarat small streets you can find plenty of chinese sellers offering this type of Saffron...

The big bag has 1 kg in it and will be found at 500 thb, even some other merchant told me i should have paid 100 thb for this !!

The saffron is the pistyl of a flower, 3 pistyl are found for each flower making the stuff laborious to gather, and finally for sale at high price...

But here in Thailand quite cheap ! Why ? is it not good ? Do they have flowers with 20 pistyls over here ??

The Saffron is grown up in the Chiang Mai area i heard

[Marmite the Dog]

There are different qualities of saffron.

The best is expensive because it only has the coloured bit of the flower. I think you'll find that the cheaper stuff still has a lot of the heavy stem attached to it.

[forreachingme]

This one is to have for 150 Thb for 3 grs. it is imported from Spain and said to be of top quality...

I went to the Foodland and found another variety for 180 thb for 1 gr but do not remember origin, but should be India...

[Marmite the Dog]

If I remember correctly, the best stuff is from Pakistan.

I could be wrong though, as it was a couple of years ago when I researched it.

[aging one]

Most of what you saw is not true safron.

A lot of it is tumeric and not safron. I brought back a bunch of Sri Lankan "safron" over 20 years ago and to laughed at when I showed it to spice merchants.

The real stuff you need 4,000 stigmas of flowers for an ounce of the stuff.

It goes for between 30 and 80 dollars an ounce. Iranian safron is considered some of the best.

[forreachingme]

Being in the China Town i started finding this enygma getting interesting and wanted the opinion from some Indians, normally knowing quite well this subject...

There i found this, Ticke, the sealed plastic container holds 1 gr and will cost 50 thb...

The Powdery bag has 3 to 4 grs and will be given away for 10 Thb !

I forgot to ask what they mix with it to get this quantity for this smaller price, but it is may be flour ...

In Europe Saffron is easily 300 thb per gramms but mostly found and used in pure powder, i used to buy it in 1 gramm quantity to make the risotto and the 1 gramm was slit in 2 x 0.5 grs pouches... Once you add a small quantity of the powder to the rice the color change of the whole casserole is imminent and all turn yellow orange...

Back in The Chinatown is asked to Chinese again what about this Thai Saffron, they said it is not Safffron but it is saffron !??!!

Anybody seen a field of this up north and seen the harvest of it ?
Is it Saffron or what is it ??

I'll have to try the stuff in the kitchen and see the coloring odouring effects now...

[forreachingme]

At this point there is the color change ! The flower is violet but the 3 pistyls are orange and the quantity is getting reduced...



A field in India...



Harvesting ...



another close look of this flower...

Is it growing in Thailand ??

[Marmite the Dog]

Is it growing in Thailand ??

Not on my balcony.

[Thetyim]

I think I read somewhere that saffron essence (the liquid) is the most expensive item per gram in the world

[Marmite the Dog]

Saffron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[forreachingme]

As per wiki Thailand is off the red growing areas !

So what is the stuff i bougth in China Town and is for sale in Pat Pong as well??

They call it thai saffron !!



Here a pic of a crocus of the plant, ony the 3 red filament will be used as spice...

Will have to open the cooking book now to see what cake, paella or risotto i have to flavour to check out the different kinds i found...

[ChangFai]

forreachingme
Several years back I bought a big bag of what I thought was saffron in Chiang Mai for 100 baht . I thought it was the bargain of the holiday .

On my return home , I showed it to a Chef , who informed me it was Safflower , sometimes known as Bastard Saffron or Fake Saffron ( Surprise,Surprise ) .

Safflower has all the colour of Saffron but has no oil and none of the flavour of real Saffron .

Best Regards
ChangFai

[mrsquirrel]

They had some at Tops Central Bang Na

Tiny amount in a plastic tub, 200 Baht

[Wallalai]

WORLD SAFFRON AND CROCUS COLLECTION

Who would have imagined that a pretty Alpine town in the canton of Valais would produce some of the world's best saffron?

A Swiss town that's mad about saffron - The Globe and Mail

[Norton]

Real saffron comes from the crocus flower and is damn expensive.

The "saffron" you see in Thailand is commonly called Indian Saffron which is actually ground turmeric.

Another substitute found in Thailand and also called saffron is obtained from safflower flower heads. Poor substitute as it adds color but very little fragrance to a dish.

[the dogcatcher]

So do crocus grow in Thailand. I've a few rai going begging and a shed load of cheap labour.

[Wallalai]

From what it's written in my link I doubt the thai climate is the best for crocus.

Saffron from Mund is some of the best in the world, because of the soil conditions, dry, hot summers and cold winters, all of which are ideal for the aromatic spice so prized by chefs.

[Norton]

From what it's written in my link I doubt the thai climate is the best for crocus.

Agree Thailand not likely a good place. In mid Canada, wild crocuses grow all over the place. Certainly has cold winters and dry summers.

[the dogcatcher]

Laos not cold enough?

[Wallalai]

You can look at the interactive flash map here: The CrocusBank Project. Saffron producing Areas

[the dogcatcher]

Good website. Thanks.
Er won't be planting crocus in Laos then.
Back to bloody rubber.

[sandyewillson]

yes, I read about this in some where. As per wiki Thailand is off the red growing areas