A few threads can go a long way of this incredible organic saffron harvested from the Moroccan city of Taliouine, high in the country’s Atlas Mountains. While most saffron is cultivated in the Middle-East, with much of the world’s production coming from Iran, but there’s something so special about Moroccan saffron. It tastes of hay, honey and hibiscus flower, with a lovely aroma that hits you the second you open the jar. Inferior saffron threads are often dry and brittle and crushed to bits by the time you crack open the jar (a sign of lacking freshness) but these are fully intact and look like delicate threads of rich crimson. It’s even placed judiciously in the tin in such a way that prevents breakage. Plus, it’s pure saffron with no fillers—some less quality versions are bulked up with dyed corn silks. Moroccan saffron is some of the most fragrant available—a sweet aroma of honey with a pleasant bitterness. It’s remarkably potent, rich, heady and unmistakably saffron. [/description-break] Ingredients [/title]Ingredients: Saffron[/accordion] Specifications [/title]Net Weight: 1 and 2 gramPlace of Origin: Taliouine, Morocco[/accordions-break]“I’m not a creator, I’m not an inventor,” says Mehdi Boujrada, a native of Morocco who developed a line of artisanal pantry items that stay true to his culinary traditions.[/banner_heading]“I’m just someone with very modest means trying to preserve and transmit something from our culture.” With the help of his mother, Boujrada started Villa Jerada in 2011.[/banner-text-break] Saffron adds a slightly floral flavor and aoma to food—not to mention a vibrant golden hue. We love it in a classic Saffron Risotto (Risotto alla Milanese) and our Lemon-Saffron Chicken (Tangia). It also adds lovely complexity when steeped in coffee or tea. [/how-to-use-break]We have a little trick we like to use here in the Milk Street kitchen to determine if a saffron is pure or cut with other filler products and dyes—like much in the U.S. unfortunately is. Simply drop a few strands in tepid water and watch to see how fast the color releases. If the water turns yellow fairly quickly or the strands lose their hue, then artificial dyes were likely used. If it releases slowly and stays a deep red, then it’s true saffron. This one passed the test with flying colors (a rich, golden color that is).
