Villa Jerada Organic Moroccan Saffron Threads

Organic Moroccan Saffron - 1 gram

SKU: 7296

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Description

Villa Jerada Moroccan Organic Saffron Threads - grown organically
1 gram - Morocco (new crop)

75,000 BLOSSOMS
225,000 Hand-Picked Stigmas make a single pound!

Flown in from Casablanca as needed, this just may be the freshest way to buy saffron online. Organically grown this saffron is not certified organic. This is the most effervescent saffrons I have smelled.

According to Greek mythology, there are a few variations to the story as to the origins of the Crocus flower. It appears that the nymph, Smilax, was involved in a relationship with the mortal, Krokus, who, with a bit of bad luck, was turned into the flower that produces Saffron.

Saffron is harvested from the fall-flowering plant, Crocus sativus, which is a member of the Iris family. It is native to Asia Minor, where it has been cultivated for thousands and thousands of years for its medicinal cures and its distinctive flavor attributes in foods.

Suggested Uses
Saffron is a traditional ingredient in many famous dishes, including Spanish Paella Valenciana, French Bouillabaisse, Italian Risotto alla Milanese, and Moroccan Saffron Couscous. Used in small, tiny pinches, the flavor is unmistakable. Other ideas are saffron rice, with couscous, seafood, and in Chai.

About Moroccan Saffron
Saffron comes from the stigmas of the violet-hued saffron crocus, and was first cultivated thousands of years ago in the area around Greece. Saffron grows particularly well in the valleys of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, and Moroccan saffron is some of the most fragrant available; it's strongly perfumed, with an aroma of honey and a pungent bitter-honey flavor.

A stone's throw from Spain and across the Straights of Gibraltar, Morocco produces some of the very finest Saffron in the world. A plant that loves hot sun with no shade, Morocco is a key growing location for many of Europe's bounties. Though Spain is known for its Saffron, they sell more than they can grow every year.

The flower stigmas are carefully removed, dried and stored in waterproof sacks, well away from direct light, in order to preserve their quality and flavor. It is easier to understand the price of organic saffron threads once you realize that it takes an average 100,000 flowers to produce a single kilogram of dried saffron!

Supply is extremely limited

Here in America, Morocco is known for foods like preserved lemons and Harissa, not for its amazing Saffron.

Mehdi now goes directly to the secret special storage location in Morocco and has it sent to him every couple of weeks as the Chef's demand. Finally, the new gorgeous packaging is ready and we are pleased to offer this organically grown saffron in its beautiful light protective tin.
-- Mehdi's journey to find Saffron...

My memory...
....of growing up is filled with bright colors and even brighter smells. Some of my most favorite memories are of the flavors, the foods, and of course, my Mother's cooking.

These meals often started with a trip to Casablanca and the oldest market in the city. My family and I would make the arduous trip of driving through the tiny, narrow streets, up and down secret alleys to find parking. From there, we would weave through the crowds of shoppers and orange vendors to the first pavilion which was dedicated to fruits and vegetables.

Then, it was on to the fish people, the meat people, and finally to the spice people who were a bit farther away from all the other shops so that they wouldn’t get any fish or other smells in their spices. Unlike here, where so many foods come wrapped up tightly, the spices in the market are displayed in cone shaped piles, so that they can be smelled and tasted before they are purchased.

The favorite (and best) spice merchant, to Chefs and foodies alike, is where my family has been going for over 30 years.

Ba Omar, as we call him, is from Essaouira, learned the spice trade from his father. Everyone in his family is in the spice business. It's a non-stop operation, where everyday they receive and sell spices in their shop.

In addition to cultivating his own spices for the shop on the land he owns, Ba Omar travels the countryside every month to select and buy spices. He then brings back the spices he finds to his shop to be meticulously finished by hand. His wife and daughters handle all the selecting, grinding, milling, and sun drying, each and everyday.

The shop doesn’t have any electrical equipment, like most of the spice shops in the market do. Instead, they have chosen to do everything by hand. It is part of the charm of the market and a strong memory for me hearing the sounds of Ba Omars’ grinding of mortar and pestle.

Of all the spice options I wish for now, seeing the Moroccan saffron that Ba Omar offered me, that made the decision for me. Rarely seen outside of Morocco, these organic saffron threads come from the very famous village of Taliouine, in the Atlas Mountains. Saffron is very sacred in the Morocco and is still treated by the traditional people as it was in ancestral and cultural history, as a valuable bond.

I have chosen to air-ship in every order for the Chefs and ChefShop.com. This ensures amazing freshness from every shipment. These organic saffron threads are just as my Mom would select, and what she uses at home. Though I can’t go to the market like I used too, it is a memory of bright colors and smells that I can share with you. -- Medhi, Seattle Moroccan

Keywords: Moroccan, organic, saffron, safron