What is "saffron"

Saffron \Saf"fron\ (?; 277), a. Having the color of the stigmas of saffron flowers; deep orange-yellow; as, a saffron face; a saffron streamer.

Saffron \Saf"fron\, v. t. To give color and flavor to, as by means of saffron; to spice. [Obs.]

And in Latyn I speak a wordes few, To saffron with my predication.
--Chaucer.

Saffron \Saf"fron\ (?; 277), n. [OE. saffran, F. safran; cf. It. zafferano, Sp. azafran, Pg. a[,c]afr[~a]o; all fr. Ar. & Per. za' far[=a]n.]

1. (Bot.) A bulbous iridaceous plant ( Crocus sativus) having blue flowers with large yellow stigmas. See Crocus.

2. The aromatic, pungent, dried stigmas, usually with part of the stile, of the Crocus sativus. Saffron is used in cookery, and in coloring confectionery, liquors, varnishes, etc., and was formerly much used in medicine.

3. An orange or deep yellow color, like that of the stigmas of the Crocus sativus.

   Bastard saffron, Dyer's saffron. (Bot.) See Safflower.

   Meadow saffron (Bot.), a bulbous plant ( Colchichum autumnale) of Europe, resembling saffron.

   Saffron wood (Bot.), the yellowish wood of a South African tree ( El[ae]odendron croceum); also, the tree itself.

   Saffron yellow, a shade of yellow like that obtained from the stigmas of the true saffron ( Crocus sativus).

c.1200, from Old French safran (12c.), from Medieval Latin safranum (cognate with Italian zafferano, Spanish azafran), ultimately from Arabic az-za'faran, which is of unknown origin. As a color word and an adjective, late 14c. German Safran is from French; Russian shafran' is from Arabic.

1. Having an orange-yellow colour. n. 1 The plant ''Crocus sativus'', a crocus. 2 A spice (seasoning) and colouring agent made from the stigma and part of the style of the plant, sometimes or formerly also used as a dye and insect repellent. 3 An orange-yellow colour, the colour of a lion's pelt. v

2. To add saffron to, for taste, colour et

1. n. Old World crocus having purple or white flowers with aromatic pungent orange stigmas used in flavoring food [syn: saffron crocus, Crocus sativus]

2. dried pungent stigmas of the Old World saffron crocus

3. a shade of yellow tinged with orange [syn: orange yellow]

Saffron (pronounced or ) is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the "saffron crocus". Saffron crocus grows to and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmata, which are the distal end of a carpel. The styles and stigmata, called threads, are collected and dried to be used mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in food. Saffron, long among the world's most costly spices by weight, is native to Southwest Asia and was probably first cultivated in or near Greece. As a genetically monomorphic clone, it was slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later brought to parts of North Africa, North America, and Oceania.

Saffron's taste and iodoform or hay-like fragrance result from the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal. It also contains a carotenoid pigment, crocin, which imparts a rich golden-yellow hue to dishes and textiles. Its recorded history is attested in a 7th-century BC Assyrian botanical treatise compiled under Ashurbanipal, and it has been traded and used for over four millennia. Iran now accounts for approximately 90% of the world production of saffron.

Saffron is a spice.

Saffron may also refer to

Saffron is a color that is a tone of golden yellow resembling the color of the tip of the saffron crocus thread, from which the spice saffron is derived.

The first recorded use of saffron as a color name in English was in 1200.

Saffron is a collaborative album by Ron Contour (Moka Only) & Factor. It was released on Fake Four Inc. in 2010.

In the context of use, Saffron is a key seasoning, fragrance, dye, and medicine in use for over three millennia.

From antiquity to modern times the history of saffron is full of applications in food, drink, and traditional herbal medicine: from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas the brilliant red threads were—and are—prized in baking, curries, and liquor. It coloured textiles and other items and often helped confer the social standing of political elites and religious adepts. Ancient peoples believed saffron could be used to treat stomach upsets, bubonic plague, and smallpox.

Samantha Marie Sprackling (born 3 June 1968, Lagos, Nigeria) more commonly known as Saffron, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress and the lead singer of the electronica band Republica. She was also performing for two years in Starlight Express in London, and in the music video for the Chesney Hawkes hit, " The One and Only", and as a dancer, in the music video for N-Joi's single, "Mindflux".

Following the break-up of Republica, she worked with The Cure, appearing on the track, "Just Say Yes". She had previously been the featured vocalist on N-Joi's 1990 single, " Anthem"; The Prodigy's " Fuel My Fire" (from their 1997 album, The Fat of the Land); Deepsky's "Smile" (from the 2002 album, In Silico); Jeff Beck's "Pork-U-Pine" (from the 2003 album, Jeff) and Junkie XL's songs, "Crusher", "Spirits", and "Beauty Never Fades" (from his 2003 album, Radio JXL: A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin). In 2010, Republica reformed and released a re-recording of their 1996 hit, " Ready to Go" on 7 June 2010.

In addition to her musical career, Saffron has recently been making a return to acting.

During early October and November 2014, Saffron and Republica toured the United Kingdom in support of The Boomtown Rats "Ratlife" tour.

On 13 November 2015 saw Saffron perform on her debut solo show at the 100 Club, London, United Kingdom. She performed with guitarist Darren Beale and fellow singer Mel Sanson. She continues to tour both with Republica and with her solo show, which incorporates many special guests.

In the context of trade, saffron is one of the world's most expensive spices by weight, saffron consists of stigmas plucked from the vegetatively propagated and sterile Crocus sativus, known popularly as the saffron crocus. The resulting dried "threads" are distinguished by their bitter taste, hay-like fragrance, and slight metallic notes. The saffron crocus is unknown in the wild; its most likely precursor, Crocus cartwrightianus, originated in Crete or Central Asia; The saffron crocus is native to Southwest Asia, and was first cultivated in the area now known as Greece.

"Saffron, for example, was once less regarded than it is today because the crocus from which it is extracted was not particularly mysterious. It flourished in European locations extending from Asia Minor, where it originated, to Saffron Walden in England, where it was naturalised. Only subsequently, when its labour-intensive cultivation became largely centred in Kashmir, did it seem sufficiently exotic to qualify as one of the most precious of spices."

Saffron crocus cultivation has long centered on a broad belt of Eurasia bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the southwest to India and China in the northeast. The major producers of antiquity—Iran, Spain, India, and Greece—continue to dominate the world trade.

The cultivation of saffron in the Americas was begun by members of the Schwenkfelder Church in Pennsylvania. In recent decades cultivation has spread to New Zealand, Tasmania, and California. Iran has accounted for around 90–93 percent of recent annual world production and thereby dominates the export market on a by-quantity basis.